


Loki

by AuthorA97



Series: Marvel Traveling Universe (MTU) [3]
Category: Doctor Who (2005), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Asgard (Marvel), BAMF Loki (Marvel), Dimension Travel, Everyone Has Issues, F/M, Jötunheimr | Jotunheim, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Magic, Magic and Science, My Morgan Is Not Morgan Stark, Not Beta Read, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, POV Original Character, River Has Superpowers, River Song Being River Song
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23595298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorA97/pseuds/AuthorA97
Summary: Lady Freyja tells Loki there is only person that can help him reach his goals. If she knows her well enough, it's that Morgan could never turn away someone wanting help.
Relationships: Loki & Thor (Marvel), Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s), Loki/Morgan Spencer, Morgan Spencer & River Song, Original Female Character & River Song
Series: Marvel Traveling Universe (MTU) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/768216
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15
Collections: Spencer Saga Series





	1. The Worst AI She Ever Built

There were many things River Song hated about her Reality Walking abilities.

She hated waking around in a different body. She’d had many of them to this point, including back in her Home reality. She didn’t want different ones. 

She never knew as much as she wanted to know. In every word, the people there seemed to know River better than she knew herself. She never got to  _ chose  _ her facts, they were always chosen for her.

There were historical facts that never matched up with what River knew. There was no ‘Doctor’ in the other Realities, just people  _ like _ him. 

River was never in control of where she went. She imagined this was how it was for the Doctor and his TARDIS. She was a pilot with a destination in mind, but the transportation took her where she was _ needed _ . River hated not being in control of where she went. She’d had enough of that in her life.

There weren’t any other Reality Walkers. River was alone in all of these worlds.

Except once.

Morgan Spencer.

River remembered that name like one remembers a first love. At the time, River had been a stupid girl with no idea what the rules of Reality Walking were until Morgan hardwired then into River’s system (the robot pun was  _ not _ intentional). 

Morgan had been the only one River had ever met.

Which of course was why River should not have been so surprised that Morgan was Terra Stardust. Really, not that big of a jump.

River had wished to spend more time with Terra. According to Terra, it had been centuries for her since SASHA. There was so much that Terra could tell River about her powers. River was used to knowing everything about herself. Her origins, her past, her abilities. Even with that, Morgan Spencer always knew more about River than River did. 

Being a Reality Walker would be more information that River needed. Where did they come from? What were their powers originally used for? Was there a reason River could never find one besides Morgan/Terra?

None of those questions would top this one:

_ What in the Author’s name was she doing on Asgard? _

  
  


==L==

Here, she was in Asgard.

River had spent a month in this place. She hated every second of it.

The people here called her Lady Freyja. River had no idea who Freyja was. They spoke of her being something called _ Vanir _ , which River had very few ideas about. River supposed she was lucky that this world let her keep her _ ‘River Song’ _ face. The blonde hair suited for the many fair haired people on Asgard.

She had heard about the Norse gods, she wasn’t an idiot. She wasn’t sure why she had been dragged into this world. Her last memory was lying in a hospital bed with the Sisters of the Infinite Schism. Terra had been smiling knowingly at River. Next thing River knew she was waking up on an Asgardian bed.

River figured that Terra had done something to send her to this Reality. What was the point of sending her here? River didn’t see a point to it. All of Asgard was full of people who were so  _ dense _ . She spent most of her days sparring with Sif and the Warriors Three.

That had been a good First Day. Apparently Lady Freyja had some experience fighting, at least enough that none of the Warriors were surprised to see River walking on the battlefield. If anything they were surprised by River showing up in an olive green tunic, black pants, and boots. She supposed she was supposed to wear one of their getups. She refused.

It amused the leader of the Warriors. An Asgardian that River found out was their eldest prince and soon to be king, Thor Odinson.

He sparred with River on two occasions. River learned quickly that beating him lead to rainy days, until he defeated her in sparring. River didn’t like how the weather ruined her hair, so she avoided sparring with Thor.

Apparently defeating him the once was all she needed to do for gaining the respect of Prince Loki Odinson.

Though gaining his trust hadn’t been a problem. Whoever Freyja had been, she had Loki’s trust. 

River hated it when her backstory included friends. The only time it paid off was with Morgan/Terra/Oil.

Loki turned out to be an accomplished battle mage. River watched him practice his spell work (his way of showing off, which he vehemently denied) which included duplication, levitation, and glamours.

It had been impressive, yes. River would never admit it. She didn’t like working with magic. It left her feeling like her skin was a size too small for her body. Which didn’t help, as right now her body was a size smaller than her  _ actual _ body back Home.

Still she watched Loki perform his spells after sparring with the Warriors three. Know your enemy, and all that. 

A month after her arrival in Asgard, she was sparring with doubles of Loki trying to find the proper one.

His illusions were damn good. River was used to hologram illusions, or ones created by the aliens that raised her. Magical illusions were above her paygrade.

River was soundly defeated when one of the illusions threw her out of the sparring ring. She tossed her blonde hair back, the curls disappearing in her sweat. She narrowed her eyes at the Trickster.

The prince was grinning at her with delight. River had seen this grin on children who had gotten away with a clever trick.

River helped herself to her feet. The pale bastard didn’t have the decency to look winded. On the other hand, River had taken on three men at once and could still walk straight. A personal best by River’s account.

She reached out her hand to shake Loki’s, signalling the end of their spar, when a loud shout came from across the training field.

River and Loki turned their heads that way.

They saw Thor, standing proud in the middle of fallen Asgard soldiers. He must have won his sparring match. Everyone not on the floor was cheering for Thor.

River grimaced. She didn’t have taste for braggarts.

Loki didn’t have the taste either. For a moment River felt for the Prince. She had been here a month. Loki had grown up with the lot of them.

“He has been this way since Father announced his coronation.” Loki grumbled. “The coronation is in a week. You would think the oaf would be doing a better job of proving his merit as king.”

River glanced back to Thor. The God of Thunder was waving his hammer in the air without a care, rilling the crowd further. She didn’t see a leader there, she saw someone who could stand to be knocked off his feet.

“Hopefully when he’s crowned he’ll shut up.” River remarked. She went over to a rack for weapons. She wished they had guns. She was much more suited for a gun or poisons than a sword.

Loki laughed at her remark. River knew that if anyone else had heard her, she’d be arrested for speaking that way about the heir to the throne. Lucky for her that Thor was not her king, yet. “I suspect not. He’s been this way since we were children.”

“Just another reason I pity your childhood.” River remarked.  _ ‘And I spent mine locked in a spacesuit, escaping only to die.’  _ She picked up a smaller sword than the one she was using. It looked more like a katana, which River had some experience with.

“Father always said we were born to be Kings. I think that thought went straight to my brother’s head.”

“Good thing something is in his skull. For a long while I presumed it was empty.”

“You are not alone in that thought.” Loki grumbled. He glared at his brother. “Thor is not fit to be King yet. If only the All-Father could see. Maybe then he would wait until Thor was better suited for rule.”

Loki gained a glint in his eye, turning back to glare at Thor. River had seen in when they fought. It was a look right before Loki would throw a new as of yet unknown spell at her.

River Song herself got that same look before stealing a bus, or that gorgeous red car that she’d left in a maze.

He was coming up with a plan. A plan that would most certainly _ not _ go well for Thor.

As a psychopath herself, River Song knew from experience that she couldn’t sway him. With how loud Thor was shouting she wasn’t sure she even wanted to stop him.

Which meant River had to find the only person she knew that could stop psychopaths.

River put the katana back. “I know someone that would be more than eager to help.” River 

That got the Trickster’s attention. That spark of mischief was subdued in his eyes. If River didn’t sell this enough. “Truly?”

“Yes.” River leaned in closer to Loki. “If we can manage to bring her here, you will follow _every_ _detail_ of her Plan to the letter. You will treat her word as gospel. She hates when others deviate.”

“Anything to prove to Father wrong about Thor.” Loki replied.

“Her name is Morgan.” River began. “You’ll find her on Midgard.”


	2. Not Exactly Besties

I liked Happy. 

Correction. I liked Happy _ when he did what I said. _

I’d been back in this reality for a week now. It had been a good week. Well a better week than back Home. I had gotten a lot of work done. This included an upgrade to my Night Mistress suit, which was needed practically every time I came back to this reality.

Running SI wasn’t that different than my job back at the Centre. At least this place didn’t have my stupid assistant, trying to take the fun out of everything.

Pepper was nicer than that. She wouldn’t force me to work rather than risk mental health. She was nice.

My assistant back Home was a horror. Her name was Tracy Strauss and I  _ hated her _ . Of course, my usual assistant in this world had  _ died _ ...

Forgetting that. Back to work.

The paperwork was a bunch of nonsense anyway, in both realities. I was getting them done in half the time, with half the effort. The other half of that effort was spent ignoring Happy.

“You know, you’re not my bodyguard.” The words came out of my mouth, they might as well have been the musings of a madwoman for all the attention Happy paid to them.

Ever since the events of  _ Iron Man 2 _ ended, Happy had been on my back. Maybe because he was worried I couldn’t defend myself, or maybe it was because Tony told him to stick to me like syrup on a pancake. I didn’t know which one annoyed me more.

It was getting restricting. I felt like I couldn’t breath with Happy hanging around.

“ _ Happy. _ ” I warned.

“Your father said to watch you.” Happy reminded, dutifully.

Which made it easy for me to decide what I was annoyed by.

“He also said boarding school is like Hogwarts. Let’s not take his word as gospel.” I replied easily. “You can leave. I won’t tell on you.”

To his credit, Happy didn’t flinch. He stood firm by the door.

Well he’d gone up against pre-Iron Man Tony Stark. There wasn’t much I could do that Tony hadn’t tried.

“Will you at least stay on the other side of the door?” I asked, hoping I sounded so desperate that Happy would concede.

The head of security shook his head.

_ ‘Time to pull the Afghanistan card.’  _ “I can’t work with people watching me.” I stated. “It’s too much like- like what happened last summer.”

Happy’s expression faltered.

“I know you don’t mean it like that. But it’s  _ freaking  _ me out.” My voice shook for added measure. “This work needs to get done. Please leave before my brain explodes.”

It’s not like it wasn’t true. I didn’t want people to watch me work. Happy himself admitted he was watching me for Tony. He was going to report everything I did to Tony. I didn’t like knowing that someone else would know my every move. It made me feel watched and the last guy that watched me like  _ that- _

_ “She makes really quick cuts. Now, wanna play a game?” Dominic tried shaking his head. “It’s called  _ ‘How Many Cuts Can Knifey Make In The Hour You Can't Move’ _. I think a hundred. What about you?” _

_ - _ didn’t end up happy.

“Becky, look-”

“I’m not asking anymore.” I warned. That sounded like a proper Mom voice.

This was going to become an actual panic attack. The reminder of Dominic, plus the fact that I used Stark Tech on him wasn’t helping calm me down. I needed to be alone.

The message got through to Happy. He walked to the door to the office. “I’ll check in.”

“Whatever.”

“Fifteen, ten minutes.”

“Better be twenty.”

“I’ll check in.”

“ _ Door! _ ”

The door finally closed with Happy on the other side.

I took a deep breath of relief.

For a full minute there was quiet. I took the time to breathe, to push away the pain before it could overtake me. 

My quiet time was interrupted by a loud ringing. It was an annoying ringtone telling the texter to shut the fuck up. To my credit I didn’t jump. Instead I growled. I knew who was assigned that ringtone.

Forcing myself to contain myself, I answered it.

“What do you want?” I snapped into the phone.

_ “Why are you Traveling right now?” _ Came the voice of my terrible assistant from my reality.

“Because I had fucking work to do, and you were disrupting my thought process.” I snapped.

_ “By telling you to do your job?” _ Tracy asked. _ “You are needed here.” _

“And I’m telling  _ you _ , Tracy, I’m not going back Home just so I can do the paperwork  _ there _ . I’d rather do paperwork here.”

_ “It’s not just paperwork. There are important meetings-” _

“I’m getting my work done, _ extra _ work done, and also playing  _ Pioneerville _ on Facebook.”

_ “...you play _ Pioneerville _?” _

“They let you have babies on that one for just some cabbages and baby bottles.” I defended myself. Signing a SI document, I pushed it aside for a Traveler document. “They’re cute.”

_ “You play a game so you can make babies?” _

_ Oh poor sweet summer child.  _ She walked right into it.

“Would you rather I use other methods to make babies?” I teased.

Tracy huffed in disgust.  _ “Just- you have a meeting soon. Get all the work done before you come back.” _

“The paperwork or the babies? Because one of them is going to take longer than the other, and it’s not the baby- hello?”

With a giddy smile, I clapped the phone shut.

That took off some stress. Annoying Tracy to the point of her hanging up always did. Sometimes it felt like having Darcy...back...

After another deep breath I went to the paperwork. I turned on music too. It would cover up the growing thoughts about Darcy from my head.

I was finishing up more paperwork when it happened.

Something inside me...something was tugging on something in my chest. _ My heart...it hurt so bad. _

There was just enough time to grab my Bag before the pain consumed me. 

==L==

I hate my life.

Really, really hate it.

Especially because when I woke up after being taken away by a bright light, my first thought wasn’t on my abductors, or that I should activate the suit, how I was going to get out. My first thought was that I needed to think up a witty comeback.

That’s not usually what people think when being abducted.

This had happened to me so many times, however, that I was well used to it.

What I wasn’t used to was the place I had been moved. The room was dark- darker than dark. No windows to let in light. The only light around was the glow of torches, and the ring of fire around me.

Standing up, I twirled the bo staff in hand. Taking a defensive stance I tried to search the darkness for any signs of a presence. Any presence. The Night Mistress suit- upgrade 2- was coming up over me in preparation for any foes.

But it wasn’t a foe that walked out from the shadows into the firelight.

It was a foe that invoked my name into this place.

Before me stood the ever evasive River Song.

_ River Song _

_ ‘That bitch.’ _ I thought to myself.

“Morgan.” She spoke. She stepped into the firelight. Her golden hair was curling every which way, the fire behind it making it look like a halo. “You won’t want to step out of that.”

Reaching out with my senses, I could feel I was still in the MCU. So I hadn’t been moved between realities. That was good. One more power I could say I didn’t have. If I was still in the MCU, then River hadn’t summoned me from it. That meant I was still in it, and so was she. Somehow, River was here. In my space. In my little MCU world.

_ Just like last time. _

_ That’s- that’s not- _

“Why?” I asked her.

I looked down at the flaming circle. The flames had started to fall away so I could see the detailing. There was a lot of sigils here. Some I recognized, some I didn’t. Most often I saw sigils for a summoning circle from Supernatural- when summoning being of a higher power, not Crossroad demons. That’s good. I don’t want to deal with any Crossroad demons today. One sigil stood out, one painted at my back.

“Is that my cutiemark?”

Drawn in red, burning in flames, was the outline of a book with a jumprope around it. That wasn’t typical for summoning circles.

“Along with your star sign.” River admitted, her tone lacking any of the usual teasing. This was a serious River Song. Not too often I saw that in my interactions with her. At least, not until the end. 

“Funny. Thought that was just my name.” I mused.

“You told me it was the best method to contact you if I didn’t want the Doctor as well.” River reported. She stepped closer. The flames lowered with each approaching step. “Most people give a phone number.”

“Maybe I don’t like having a lot of contacts.” I countered. Twirling the staff, I stomped it on the ground before me.

“Most people don’t give instructions for a summoning circle.” River countered right back.

The fire was reflecting in her eyes, chilled in the deep blues. I met that freezing look, giving back one of fueled flames.

“I’m getting a note judgement.” I noted. _ ‘Also getting that she’s not in her usual garb. This dress is a deeper purple than I’ve ever seen on you. There’s a green coverlet. You almost look like you’ve dressed for the times of the Ancient Greeks. Or another form of ancient nobility that’s canon for MCU-’ _

But I couldn’t give myself hope like that.

_ ‘Picnic at Asgard. Have you done that yet? Either of them?’ _

“I should hope it’s more than a note.” River replied, snippy.

“Let me out of the circle, River Song.” I commanded. There was no point in wasting time with this back-and-forth we were doing. There was work to ignore. People to avoid. 

“The circle is meant to contain you.” River cautioned. “It’s a miracle you can even move in it.”

“When has THAT ever worked for you?” I snapped, hissing out my words at the archeologist.

_ Was she even one yet? _

_ Or was she still at Luna University? _

_ Has she done anything with us yet? _

_ Has she tried to kill Hitler? _

_ Has she fought Angels? _

_ Has she done the Pandorica? _

_ How young are you right now, Melody Pond? _

River squared her shoulders back. She always looked intimidating in this incarnation, always on the edge to kill someone, always ready to strike that final blow. “It’ll work for what I need.”

“And what is it that the great River Song wants from me?” I asked, giving her a too dramatic bow, using the bo staff to keep from bending too far. “You know my entire existence is to serve at your discretion. Certainly there’s nothing I want.”

River rolled her eyes, disgusted. “Stop it.”

“Stop what, my supreme overlord?” I replied, giving my voice a tone of devotion.

“I said stop it.” River snapped. “I need you to answer me.”

“Ask and it shall be your’s. This is how genies work.” I mocked.

River ground her teeth. She hissed her words, clenching her teeth so tight I’m surprised they didn’t crack. “Why am I here?”

“I don’t know, why are any-”

“ _ Why did you send me here?!” _

“Perhaps you missed the circle I’m standing in that you painted to bring me here.” I pointed at the circle of flames still around me. “You know you didn’t have to set it on fire-”

River yelled. “You sent me here! I know you did- you said as much! Now I’m stuck here in bloody Asgard, and I can’t go back to my reality, and you won’t tell me why! All I had was a book and a date, telling me when to call you so the timelines would match up. That’s what you gave to me. What you left out  _ was the answer for why I am here!” _

I eyed the Time Lady cautiously. She always revealed too much when angry, just like the Mels of old. Just her luck that I was here. Ready to set off all her old anger-triggers again. 

_ Just like she set off all of mine. _

“Let me out.”

“You want the truth?”

“For once!” River ordered.

“The full truth?”

“Yes! Right now!”

“Watch your tongue, River Song. Eventually I’ll be out of this circle. _ Do you want to be on my bad side when that happens?” _ I warned her.

River clamped her lips shut. Still, her eyes were glaring coldly at me. Her fists kept clenching at her side, fighting the urge to lash out at me.

_ She still has so much of Mels _

_ But she answers to River Song. _

_ Oh she is young indeed. _

“If I give you the truth, you’ll let me out?”

“The full truth!” River prompted. “Not of your half-truths. The full truth, Morgan.”

“Then I will demand to be released.” I bargained, holding up my hand.

_ Though I’m loving the theme of summonings and implications of Crossroad demons, I’m not kissing River Song. _

_ RIP to the Doctor, but I’m different. _

River reached over the flames to take my hand. “Yes, yes. You’ll be let out. Just tell me.” She took her hand back. “Always so dramatic.”

I smiled widely.

“The full truth of why I sent you here...is because you told me I did.”

River closed her eyes. “... _ you bitch.” _

Solemnly, I nodded. “I know.”

River went back the way she came. “Just go.” She asked, tiredly.

I focused on the teleportation power.

_ Nothing. _

My eyes widened. “Break the circle.”

River sure me, confused. “Can’t you-”

“Break. It.”

River rushed to do it. She lifted up a fire extinguisher- where the hell had she hidden  _ that _ \- before blowing it out on the fire. Once the fire was out, she dragged her boot along the paint. It scratched off.

I tried again.

_ Nothing. _

_ Nothing. _

_ Error. _

_ Error. _

_ Nothing! _

“Fuck!” I yelled.

“What’s wrong?” River asked, concerned. 

“I can’t teleport back!” I yelled. “You gotta send me back!”

“What!?” River yelled, jumping back. “I don’t know how! You only told me how to summon you- you never said-”

“ _ You summoned a thing without having a way to banish it back?! _ Hasn’t Future Me taught you better!” I smacked River’s face.

River’s head pushed to the side, her body going with it. Ah- she’d been surprised. “You know I’m not a good student!”

“Ugh I know you’re not!” I whined. Stomping my foot, I swore again. “I’m stuck here. Stuck in-”

“Asgard.” River supplied.

_ Unnecessary. _

“-with  _ you. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who’s following it! River and Morgan are always fun to write together- particularly when they argue!  
> For those that care, these events are taking place for Morgan after the events of The Day My Life Ended. Meaning: Darcy has just died. She’s having a bad time.


	3. The Princes Of Asgard

To add insult to injury, she’d summoned me in a broom closet.

A fucking broom closet.

The best place she could find to summon me on short notice.

A broom closet.

She totally hated me.

She led me out of the  _ broom closet _ through the halls of  _ Asgard’s royal palace _ .

I am disgusted.

I am revolted.

I dedicate my life to our god and savior the Author and  _ this  _ is the thanks I get-?!

She checked the adjoining hallway for any passersby. As that happened I was deactivating the Night Mistress suit. It was shifting me back into my business clothes.

When no one walked by, River grabbed my arm. “Come on.” She dragged me down the hallway.

“You don’t have to jerk me around.” I scolded. “It’s not  _ my _ fault you didn’t learn the banish counter.”

River dropped my arm. I still followed closely after her. 

“You need to tell me the BS.”

“I’m not telling you  _ shi-” _

“Backstory. I need the backstory.” I corrected. “You can’t just drag me around Asgard without me wondering why you’re here.”

River scoffed. “I don’t  _ have _ to tell you  _ anything _ .” She held up an arm, stopping me. “You’re not going to need it.”

“I can end your birth.” I snapped off.

“You could try.” River replied, brushing off the threat. Well didn’t that just make me want to step it up...if she wasn’t right. I wasn’t gonna undo her birth- then I would never get the chance to annoy her so much. “I don’t see why you need it. You’ll not be leaving my quarters.”

“You have rooms?!”

“ _ Guest _ quarters.” River replied with a heavy roll of her eyes. 

“Phew...I don’t need another weird family tree for you.” I grimaced. River held up her hand, stopping us at another turn. I quieted- waiting for a signal.

Two maids walked down the hall. Once they passed us, River began dragging me along. I made sure to keep my footing quiet as we walked down the hall. Going on enough heists taught you when to shut up.

As we walked farther up, I walked closer to River with a whisper. “Usually they give rooms to foreign dignitaries...” River said nothing. “If you think I won’t go snooping around your rooms to find out answers-”

“I hate you and the day you were born.” River replied. “I’ll tie you to a chair.”

“I’ll talk to the first maid that comes in.”

“Not if I tell them they can’t.”

“You really think that would stop maids from sneaking in?”

“Maids on Asgard are much more obedient than maids on Earth.”

“Then they’ll tell other people that would break in. I’d tell them-”

“What? What would you tell them? You would never let yourself be caught in a lie.”

“But I would keep talking anyway. To make you look bad, of course.”

“Again, cursing the day you were born.”

“That day was already cursed,  _ sweetheart _ .”

River glared. “Don’t you throw that back-” She stopped herself. She pushed me up against the wall, holding her hand over my mouth. I silenced myself.

Two maids walked down the adjoining hall. Both of them with their backs to us. Somehow, both completely missing whatever this must look like.

River let me down with a tired groan. “I hate this. I hate you. I hate this entire month.”

“You’ve been here a month, and you took you until  _ now  _ to call me?”

“There hasn’t been time!” River countered. She let out a sigh. “Morgan I need  _ help _ . Please.”

With that, all the fight was taken from me. She needed help. My anger could be set aside- restarted at a later date. Right now, someone needs help.

River moved my hand. “Tell me who I’m helping.” I requested.

The archeologist sighed. She let me down from the wall. “Let’s go.” She walked me down another hall. “My rooms aren’t far.”

_ She said she wasn’t in the Odin family- good because I couldn’t take the mental strain of her being related to them- but she didn’t deny being a foreign dignitary. _

“Whose rooms?” I prompted.

River tensed her hand in our hold. “The Lady Freyja, of the Vanir.”

I blinked. “Shut. Up.”

“I don’t get it either-”

“You don’t know who Freyja is, do you?” I asked, shaking my head at her. Asgard was wasted on her. “For shame.”

“I wouldn’t  _ need  _ to know if someone hadn’t sent me here in the first place!” River reminded me. She glared at me from over her shoulder.

_ ‘Another excellent point- blast!’ _

“Who is she, then?” River asked, clearly caving in.

“Goddess of love. Associated with sexuality, fertility, as well as sorcery, war, and death. She had first dibs on the bodies of the fallen-“

“She has her fingers in a lot of pies.” River noted.

“She is from the Vanir, gifted to Asgard to solidify the truce.” River tilted her head. “War hostage.”

“Lovely. I’m a war hostage. Anything else?” River prompted.

“Chariot pulled by cats, or rides a battle pig. A hog, as it were. Some suspected it was her lover too.”

“She rides her lover in public? My, my.” River praised. “I’m impressed.”

_ ‘Not surprising- since you’re her in this world.’ _

“I can’t believe you know all of this. You must really like Rick Riodian novels.”

“Who?”

“You know-“ River stopped us just in front of a door. “The author who wrote all those books about Norse gods. Dad was obsessed with them.”

“He does?!” I gawked. “That is the best news I’ve ever heard in my life. Back home, buying those the first chance I get.”

River had been reaching for her door. She stopped at my comment. “Hold on...you didn’t know about that?”

“Yeah.”

“Then...why did you know all of that?”

“I looked it up...for fun.”

“Why? Why do that to yourself?” River questioned.

“Why does your mom like Romans?” I countered. 

Disgusted with me, River opened the door. 

_ Yes. Yes. Be disgusted. _

_ Be horrified. _

_ Soon, when I’m through helping you _

_ It’ll be the least of your worries. _

The room looked quite lovely, if you had a gold fetish. Last I checked I did not have the gold-sickness, so I was fine.

The walls were covered in gold, or perhaps child coloring. There was dark furniture, most likely on River’s request. Touches of blue were on the ceilings and curtains. A style choice, or one of Vanir? She had bookcases full of old worn books, and trinkets of various shapes. Some of them were odd even by my standards.

This was just the sitting room, or the solar. I couldn’t see the bedroom itself, or whatever else they had for guest rooms for dignitaries. Not did I really want to see them, as I would have to find my way out of here.

I walked up to the bookshelf. River pushed me towards a door. 

“Hey!”

“No time.” She threw open the door to what turned out to be her bedroom. Something lavish, with a princess draped bed and a large wooden wardrobe. “You can’t be seen here in  _ that. _ You have to change.”

“Why?!”

“Tell me...does Lady Freyja have any handmaidens?”

_ Vengeance. _

_ River you cruel heartless bitch _

_ I will get vengeance for this. _

==L==

She had left me to dress myself.

Now I knew that sometimes it was good to ask for help. Not to be dramatic, but I would rather die than ask River Song.

I pulled out my comm link from my suit. “Happy?” There was static, hinting that there was no radio connection. “Oh Happy’s in a bad mood.”

Man, this was gonna be a lot of paperwork when I went back to LA. Granted, FRIDAY could do my work for me in the long run, she had my electronic signature. Happy would probably have a tracker installed in my skin. Tony would build it for him. Nick Fury would probably support it with SHIELD, hell he’d get Coulson to help!

_ Fuck that’s bad. _

_ Fuck this is irritating _

_ Fuck Future Me for bringing me to River’s place _

_ Or Lady Freyja. Double Fuck Me that she gets the cool Norse mythology backstory and she doesn’t get any of it. It’s shit. _

Also I little more than not fair on fate itself

But mostly fuck her.

Also fuck this dress. Who the fuck designed Asgardian wear, tetris boards?!

After a long time of trial and error the dress was on. It apparently had layers. A rose pink first layer, a red dress for a second layer, and a robe that was a dark shade of purple. Fucking Freyja themed layers. I hated it more than I hated this situation my future self dragged me into.

“Are you done yet?”

“Done with your attitude.” I snarked back. Tying the robe shut, I walked out from the screen cover.

River was reclining on a couch in the sitting room by the door. She was turning through the pages of an ancient looking Asgardian text. “You never told me if Freyja had handmaids.”

“She doesn’t.” I replied, stern. “The closest equivalent she has is that she has dibs on half the Valkyries-”

“Oh them? I heard they were dead.” River mused, idly turning the page.

“They are? Aww, that’s upsetting.” I frowned. “Technically Freyja gets dibs on half-”

River dropped her book in her lap. She gave me a deadpan look to shut up. That wasn’t a great look. She stole it from her mother. I feared being on the other side of that look someday. Amy Pond wasn’t a scary ginger for nothing. She gave it all to River Song. For putting up with the Doctor, you had to learn that.

“How can you not care about that?” I asked her, disappointed in her. “It’s a fact about yourself in this world.”

She was always like this. She never wanted to look into why exactly things fell apart. She just wanted to stop it. There wasn’t any fun in just stopping things without understanding it. You think it would be something she learned, because the first time I met her that was how she’d died.

“I don’t care how she lived before I was here, or how she ‘ _ might’ve’  _ lived in your folklore.” River replied. “I want to know facts. The important facts. Including:  _ her handmaids. _ Like I asked.”

_ Author she was so annoying. _

“She does, they were never named. Like all the others.” I stated. In truth my research hadn’t had anything. Most servants were just devotees. It would’ve been nice to have more names to find, like there are in Greek/Roman myths, but I’m not that lucky apparently. “I can take the name of a Valkyrie...if they’re actually dead, I mean.”

“From what I’ve heard, the answer is yes.” River stated. “Thor wholloped a man last week for implying Sif would  _ ‘end up like the rest of the Valkyrie’ _ if she kept on with her training.”

I whistled. Pre-movie Thor was a dick, good to know he at least defended his friends. 

River sat up. She dropped her book haphazardly onto the table. I squeaked in fear as dust came off the book, momentarily thinking she had ruined it. Oh she better not have. I’ll kill her if she’d ruined Asgardian books. I’d tell Twilight, final see murder in her eyes that wasn’t aimed my way.

“You don’t need a fake name.” River groaned with a long tired argument. “Just use yours.”

“You know I don’t like doing that.” I scolded her. 

River rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know. Terra Johnson, Last Time Lady in existence. Or did you prefer Stardust? You never answered the question. Did you want to go by Oil again? That worked so well for you last time.”

“Fuck you and your questions.” I spat at her.

She dared.

She dared bring up the time  _ she _ left me alone.

Threw herself into death rather than be around me anymore.

Left me without anyone else like me for  _ seventy-three years _ .

She’s rubbing it in my face like it was  _ my fault. _

She  _ dared _ .

After she took away the last thing of good that I had, she  _ mocked my solitude. _

Darcy was  _ dead _ . River was  _ mocking me. _ Taking away my sister’s job. She- she didn’t get to do that. Nobody got to do that. Darcy should be doing this.

_ Why didn’t you warn me _

_ You saw me _

_ You were in Equestria and you saw me _

_ You could have warned me _

_ It was literally two weeks later _

_ Why didn’t you warn me? _

I shifted into my Night Mistress suit. River Song rolled her eyes, no doubt thinking I was being over the top dramatic. She didn’t get to be a bitch about this. The one thing she always listened to was fighting, so fighting she would get.

Someone let themselves into the rooms. “Lady Freyja! I have good news-”

I rapidly pulled my staff out, aiming it at the lightning god before I could realize that indeed it was the lightning god.

“One more step this goes up your-oh hey it’s you.”

Thor Odinson stood in front of me, looking ever so much like an asshole I’m surprised there wasn’t an apple in his hand. 

“Odinson.” Came my unpleasant greeting. “The future King one.”

The Prince glared down his nose. “And who are you? Why are you threatening me with this...stick?”

“You’re the one storming in here-” I began to yell.

River walked up beside me. She gestured with her hand to me, though she was clearly still shocked at the bomb I dropped. “Uh, Prince Thor, let me assure you that Queen Morgan Stardust means you know harm. We were in the middle of a...discussion when you walked in. It was tense.” River corrected. 

_ What the fuck did she just call me _

_ Not only my real name but that  _ bullshit _? _

“I will _ murder  _ you in the painful way you can imagine.” I reminded her.

River just smiled at me. “You see? Tense.”

“I will murder you  _ twice _ .”

“Ah yes. Loki had said you were inviting a guest.” Thor noted. “All the better than I get to meet her. This is my crowning we are celebrating.” He smiled too wide, every part of him just full of boasting energy that sucked the light out of those around him to add to his own hype. “He did not mention it was a queen.” Thor eyed me in a way that had me tightening my fist on the bo staff. “I have not heard of you.”

“She is from outside the Nine.” River lied for me.

“Haven’t you ‘ _ helped’  _ enough?” I snapped at her.

“Loki had said she was from Midgard.”

“Yes, she is.” River winced as I glared over my shoulder at her. Did she just give these bastards _ all of it?! _ “But not from this Midgard. It was another from-”

“Ah! Then it is good fortune we were introduced, Queen of Midgard.” Thor boasted. He puffed up his chest. “I can introduce you to the glory of the Realms of Asgard!”

_ No. _

_ Fuck no. _

_ Fuck all of this. _

“Are we done here?” I asked, impatient.

“What?”

“Lady Freyja and I were doing stuff before you barged in. I’d really like to continue that...discussion.” I told him. Thor stuck around. “In  _ private _ ?”

“Then finish your business so I would begin your tour. It was only right that a queen be welcomed by the royal family.” Thor looked over my suit. “Perhaps you should change. These garments are unbefitting any Queen. My mother would agree.”

_ I would rather eat broken glass _

_ Then hang around Pre-movie Thor any longer. _

“Prince Thor, the discussion was actually about that. Could you leave so she could change?” River asked.

I clicked a button on my belt. The suit shrunk away, combining with tech and spells to pack itself away. I glared once more at River over my shoulder at the multi-layered clothes coming back over me.

“I’m done here.” I informed them both. “Laters.”

Before either of them could say anything, I stormed out. 

With that I walked around the Thunder God, marching off in what I assumed was the direction of the library.

==L==

After asking a few servants I found the library. Twilight Sparkle was going to be jealous of it, so I took a dozen pictures of the shelves before moving on to the books themselves. She would be both proud and jealous of it all. She would love seeing how this reality handled magic, how they worked out their spells, it would make her head explode in joy.

The language was what I assumed was a written All-speak, Asgardian, and other languages of the Nine-Realms. None of which I remember from Earth. The elven books I vaguely remembered from a class I took on them some time ago. The wording was about art so I reasoned it as no help to me.

It took maybe two hours before I had a table covered in books. I was thinking about a translation spell- thinking about checking my Bag for an English book to translate from (the spell required a source of the language you wanted to translate). I was pulling out another book to use- more to add on in case all the books I grabbed were useless-when I saw  _ him. _

_ Loki _ .

I was pulling out another book to translate. The space behind it was empty to show off his face. I pushed the book back in before he could see me. My proudest thing was not gasping when I saw him.

_ ‘Okay. Okay. Don’t geek out, Spencer. Don’t be weird. The absolute worst thing you could do is be weird. And mention his heritage. Or kill him. Okay there are a lot of bad things you could do but being weird is top of the list.’ _

So I took a deep breath to calm down.  _ ‘Just say hello. That’s all you have to do. Just say hello to Prince Loki of Asgard. Just one word. Then when he says hi back, just introduce yourself and politely move on. No need to linger or he’ll think you’re weird.’ _

Plan settled, I braced myself. Walking around the large bookcase I saw him hunched over a book. To the outside eye he was casually reading, tracing his finger along the text. To a proper reader you could see his complete focus on the book, how fast the finger moved along the page as he absorbed the words as he sought what was important.

_ ‘Stay calm, Spencer. You’re staring at him. That’s weird!’ _

Taking a step forward, I realized my hands were weird. They were just fiddling in the air. So I put them in my pockets.

“H-”

Loki turned round to me, aiming a dagger at my throat. I kept myself stiff, unflinching at nearly getting my throat slashed. My own hands went to grab at my bo staff, if only to whack Loki upside his head. I stopped short of actually grabbing it.

There was a moment of silence as Loki and I observed each other. Loki was Tom’s height, a high 6’2. It was practically towering my 5’9.

Loki eyed me warily. He was still keeping the dagger on me. “There’s not many that can sneak up on me.” Loki stated. 

“Sorry. I have quiet feet.” I admitted, my voice soft and apologetic. Once you learned how to teleport, or at least hover, it was so much easier to startle people.

“Who are you?” Loki demanded. “I haven’t seen you in these halls before.”

“What? Did I sneak into your library?” I asked. He narrowed his eyes. “No shame! I’ve got a librarian friend so I get the rage!”

Loki moved the knife closer.

I side stepped it. After living with Darcy, avoiding knives was a reflex. “Prince Loki, this was not how I imagined meeting you.”

“How rude of me.” He moved with me, blocking my exit with another knife aimed at me. Yes I could easily avoid it but...well that meant leaving. “You know my name, yet I have no recollection of your’s.” Loki replied in a cool tone. It slid on my skin like Asgardian silk.

“Morgan.” I heard myself saying.  _ Why. Why am I like this?! I just took River’s side. Fuck everything.  _ “Hello.”

“Morgan? Queen Morgan?” Loki suddenly turned red. It was a shade I hadn’t seen on the prince before, at least the version on screen. It was a decent look on him, made him look really, _ really _ cute. “She truly found you?”

“Yep. She did.  _ She really did. _ Nice to meet you, Prince Loki.” I tilted my head, giving him a cheeky smile. “Mind moving that knife now?” I teased.

Loki quickly pulled the blade back. He magicked it away. Not going to deny I relaxed at that. “Lady Freyja called you a fierce warrior, more fearsome than any foe Midgard had ever seen. It must be lucky that you have not cut me down already. My apologies, Your Majesty, I meant no offense.” Loki apologized.

“No, no. It’s alright.” I assured him. “Knives are aimed at me all the time. At least this one was cute.” _ ‘Whelp...just said that. That came out of my mouth. Author’s Byline, why was I given the power of speech?!’ _

Loki seemed to have no way of handling that comment either. He eyed me with more caution. He shook off the tension in his body, adjusting his Asgardian garb as he did so.

Not gonna lie, I couldn’t look away.

Just a  _ tiny  _ bit of collarbone had been exposed.

“What brought you to the library?” Loki inquired.

“Trying to get home.” I admitted. Dammit, Loki was too good at this. Right now I would tell him anything. Passcodes on my phone, deep memories I hid away, my magical travels, anything. “Asgard is great. I just wasn’t expecting to be brought here.”

Loki looked at the pile of books. “She brought you here without telling you beforehand?”

“She’s a bitch like that.” I explained. “Wasn’t expecting it. Now I want to go home.”

“Freyja explained you could travel between worlds.” Loki noted.

I rolled my eyes. “Well yes but...it doesn’t work the way the Bifrost does. My...my powers don’t work like that. I can only move beyond the Nine, outside of it. It won’t take me back to your Midgard, which is kinda where I wanna go.”

“If I had known Freyja would trouble you so, I would not have asked her.” Loki explained.

Shaking my head, I gave him a nonchalant smile. “It’s fine, it’s fine. She just...she just surprised me. I can still go home it would...it’ll probably take a lot of math, and spellwork. Just know it’s hard. Like,  _ ‘I’d be here a week before I got close to home’ _ hard.”

Loki hummed. As he stood there, thoughtful, I fought to keep myself from staring at him. He was just so... _ beautiful. _

My hands glowed in yellow magic. I took a deep breath, keeping it contained. The magic floated over to the books I had moved about, as well as the ones on the desk. They floated up, back to where I had taken them. “It’s a spell to return books to their proper place. My librarian friend uses it all the time to rearrange her library.” I leaned towards him. “Don’t tell anyone, but sometimes I use it in my friend’s library just to see her scramble to find the problem. She knows something is wrong but she can’t see what!”

Loki’s green eyes glinted. It made me fall even further for him. “Impressive.” He praised with a smile.

As the last book was put away, I smiled at him. “I get the distinct feeling you’re smooth talking me for answers.” I noted. “Answers about what, something Lady Freyja has said? Do I need to worry about what she’s signed me up for?”

Loki did not deny it. His smile only became more full of mischief.  _ Aha... _

“Those books  _ will  _ be useless.” Loki admitted. He glanced around the library for others. When no one was in sight, he took a step closer to me. Basically made my heart race. “Would you like to know a secret?”

_ ‘Yes! Just keep talking to me. Anything you say is the best thing I’ve ever heard ever.’ _

“Yes.” Being able to say that with a straight face made me feel like a warrior.


	4. Pre-Gaming

Loki brought me back to Freyja’s rooms. She had apparently been fretting on where I had stormed off after leaving her with the god of storms.

“You look happy.” I teased. 

She glared at me, arms on her hips. “I had to fight Thor.”

Loki hummed. What I wouldn’t have given to see that fight. “Given that it hasn’t started raining, that must mean Thor won.”

“He always does.” Freyja countered. I watched both of them speak, the conversation much like Classic Pong. “I had no choice. He was already upset about Morgan leaving in a huff. He wanted to be insulted by her dismissal!”

That made them acknowledge me. Loki gave me a side stare- something like a proud quirk on his lips.

“Lady Freyja and I were having a discussion. He interrupted. I decided to end the conversation by going to the library.” I replied. My smile came as warm and bright. He knew what happened after the library.

His grin told me he did indeed know what happened next. “He won’t give up on meeting you.”

I waved it off. “That’s a headache for later.” 

“It’s a headache I’m still dealing with!” Freyja snapped. “The library? You went to a library, why?” River Song asking me about libraries was not a topic I liked. It was more than a little upsetting, so I just ignored it. “Don’t tell me-”

“You weren’t giving me answers so I had to get my own.” I answered. “Thanks again for that, Loki.”

Loki gave a quick nod of his head. “You’re welcome.”

Freyja kept looking between us. She didn’t seem surprised that I had found him. She had given in to the fact that if it inconvenienced her, I would probably do it. Twice just to prove a point. She was so easy to irritate. 

“But I know why I was brought here.” I began, moving to stand by the wall. It gave me the chance to look at both of them without being in the middle. Loki took some steps forward, while Freyja moved to lean on her bedpost. “I’ll help but I need the full facts.”

“What could you be lacking?” Freyja asked. “You’ve had five hours here.”

I tilted my head. No need to tell her about Loki and I’s trip. “Did you miss- Nope. No time. Loki. Tell me everything you know about Thor’s coronation.”

“I told you everything you-” Freyja complained.

“No. You told me everything you  _ wanted _ me to know. I need to know everything else.” I turned to Loki. “If you don’t mind?”

Loki shook his head. “Ask, Queen Morgan, and you will receive.” He sighed, folding his hands together. “He’s nervous. He denies it, but he has been quiet lately. He is not ready for the responsibility of being king.”

“Like...he’s not ready to grow up? Wants to still be a prince that can do fun things like spar and go on adventures?” I suspected.

“Exactly.” Loki confirmed. “Mother has made it no secret she expects much of the more  _ ‘boring’ _ affairs will be handled by me, in the name of Thor’s advisor. Thor is too used to that- to taking my help or using my words and benefits. He is in for a shock for matters that won’t accept my say- or even that his say won’t be what Asgard needs.”

I nodded, taking it all in. Sitting down, I waited for Loki to continue.

He did. He went on and on about all the ways Thor fell short. The many lessons skipped out on as a boy, the behaviors unbecoming of a new king that Thor had been playing up for ages. Loki made a point to say that Odin wasn’t at fault for this poor decision. Rather it was what everyone  _ expected  _ to happen. Made king by popular vote. 

_ ‘Make me king, make me king, don’t pay attention to what my actual policies are or what I plan to do after I gain the crown. Just let me be king.’ _

Pre-movie Thor is a dick. 

There came a point where I noted Loki was talking less about himself. So I brought up asking why Loki thought he couldn’t continue to influence Thor on decisions for the good of Asgard.

Apparently being appointed future King was also giving Thor a big head. He refused Loki’s advice at first, most likely at the behest of his friends. Then came to ignoring Mother’s suggestions as the coronation drew closer. Loki suspected it wouldn’t be long before Thor even ignored the All-Father’s decisions. Remembering how the movie started, I couldn’t help but agree.

Freyja added in bits about Thor in the sparring rings. He was getting into a lot of fights though people were thrown out very quickly from either going easy on the future King or getting their ass beat by the future King. Freyja explained that my dismissal that morning hadn’t helped matters. Apparently, any time the new King was displeased there was a sudden storm. It was only Freyja’s loss in the sparring ring that kept the Asgardian skies clear.

It was all painting a picture. One of desperation, of a group that would need help if they didn’t want to start Ragnarok. Sorry, I like making Norse jokes...it’s funny. Hopefully there won’t be any sun-eating wolves. An Odin eating wolf wouldn’t go amiss.

“Okay. I’m agreeing to help.” I stated.

Freyja eyed me. “So what’s the plan?”

“You’ve talked to me for twenty minutes. I’m a miracle worker, old friend, even miracles take a little time.” I chided.

“You have two days.” Loki informed me.

I scoffed. “That’s nothing. I’ve already got something in mind.” It would make things a bit tense, and more than a little rushed. There would be some fight from Loki, maybe even Freyja. Some of my plans grated on people. “You said he still listens to Odin, yes?”

“Yes, though I’m not sure how long that will last.” Loki advised.

I nodded, taking that in. “His friends- the Warriors Three and Sif?”

“Nothing but yes men.” Freyja reported. “Sif is even in love with Thor. She’ll do anything he says, or anything to make him happy. From what I’ve seen, many of Loki’s suggestions were ignored mainly by her word.”

“It’s not only her.” Loki reminded her.

“2 times out 5, it is.” Freyja countered. “With Thor, Hogun, and Volstagg taking the remaining three.”

“That’s good to know. Fandral?”

“He stays out of most arguments.” Loki explained. “Choosing instead to take a position that will finish the argument fastest.”

Another nod from me. Though I would much rather find an easier plan that would get the job done, there weren’t many other plans that would show Odin the problems. My best bet would be to minimize the damage after Thor’s banishment. The longer that would take, the better. He would need to learn his lesson without Loki having a mental breakdown. It would save everyone a lot of time.

Yeah I had big goals here. Freyja called me in. She knew what she was getting into when I got control of something.

“If that’s the case...my plan’s gonna have speed bumps.” I stated. No matter how much Freyja or I tried, there wouldn’t be much to stop the Warriors Three and Sif from sneaking out to get back to Thor. The plan to Laufey was perfectly good- if we were fast and smooth talking well enough, the rest of the Jotuns wouldn’t call for war after the murder. “Are you both willing to go through with it?”

“Yes.” Loki insisted without hesitating.

“I mean it. This will get bloody if it goes wrong.” I told him.

Loki shook his head. “I’ll take whatever council you can give me.”

We both turned to Freyja. She threw her hands in the air. “I give in! Do whatever you like whether I agree or not.”

“Let me start off by saying, you won’t like it.” I went on to explain my Plan. Or at least, everything until Thor getting to Jotunheim. All Loki wanted was to hear Thor getting in trouble and his coronation was pushed back or cancelled, and all Freyja wanted to hear was that I would be leaving.

Loki and Freyja stared at me with wide eyed concern and  _ ‘holy crap this woman is mad’. _

“You’re right. I don’t like it.” Freyja stated.

“Come on, it’s not even the worst plan I ever had.” If she heard of my adventures in her reality, she knew that for a fact. When she and I were together, there were some plans of mine that were crazier. She would see them in her future.

“It’s insane. If it goes wrong, we could all be killed!” Freyja shook her head. “No, no way-”

“You got anything better?”

“Yes! A million other things!”

“Things that don’t involve knocking him out or killing him?” I asked. Freyja rolled her eyes. “Yeah I don’t let you have fun, I know, I know.”

Freyja shook her head at me. She turned towards Loki. Something she saw there didn’t sit well with her. “You cannot be serious.”

“It’s the only plan we have.” Loki reminded her. “You yourself said we must take her word.”

“Not for a suicide mission!” Freyja snapped. “Which is what this is. If any one thing goes wrong, we’re all dead! It’s madness!”

_ I had that plan with Darcy too _

_ Pity that...she’s always the wild card in the plans. _

_ Now it’s River Song. _

_ That’s darkly funny. _

_ Darcy would be proud of you. _

That didn’t mean I had to like it.

Loki just smiled at Freyja. “It’s just mad enough to work.”

_ That  _ I could like.

“She’s right. There’s no denying the danger here. But what Thor could manage on the throne is something worse.” Loki argued.

From the way Freyja rolled her head back, I knew we had her.

==L==

Apparently a part of this plan involved me apologizing to Thor in the most annoying way possible. This wasn’t a good apology wanting to be given from the kindness of my heart (a small lie, Thor is really nice and I do hate that I hurt his feelings- damn those Equestrians) because pre-movie Thor is nothing short of a total spoiled brat.

Yeah I said it.

Post-movie Thor is a much better person. Yes, he’s still an idiot but more in the sense of he doesn’t really know how to communicate with people that aren’t in his social circles. He doesn’t relate to the scientists of Jane, Tony, or Bruce who want to know so many answers because he sees them as, well, behind. Steve he has more in common with, as they both tend to fight for justice and honor above most else. Natasha and Clint he wisely avoids. Nobody wants an angry Natasha, and I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Thor interact more with Clint in fanfiction than on screen.

But pre-movie Thor still thinks he’s king of the world. Why shouldn’t he? He would be crowned for it in two days. He had nobody telling him otherwise. People like Jane and her assistant and Erik Selvig really gave Thor a humbling, of showing the effects of compassion.

_ Pride comes before the fall. _

None of this gave me an out for avoiding this meeting. Trust me, I had tried. Freyja gave me no wiggle room to escape. Cruel bitch, who raised her? An angry Scots woman and some kinda Roman Centurion? Oh...

Loki on the other hand was fine becoming a traitor. He wanted this plan to work, which meant Thor being as self-righteous as possible. This included me apologizing even though  _ he _ was the one at fault. Going into a room uninvited, interrupting a conversation that had nothing to do with him, and then demanding I follow him around all day.

Yes I am still upset.

This apology would be done for the sake of the children. Lilac needed good role models since half of them...died. I could be the bigger woman.

Loki tried to arrange it so this meeting would take place in a small side room, or perhaps an open courtyard. That was superseded by the All-Mother herself. Apparently Thor had gone straight to her, hoping to find my room. I was a visiting dignitary, why wouldn’t I have my own room? Which led to Queen Frigga having no clue who the dignitary was.

Now we were in the Queen’s tea room. All five of us. I had never been more stressed in my life. I’d met queens and rulers before, meeting Princess Celestia had been much calmer and she could move the fucking sun. Queen Frigga couldn’t move the sun. Celestia would have my back.

Queen Frigga just moved faster.

So I was sipping tea in her room, politely smiling over the cup while giving the best bullshit lie I was able to give. All while dressed in the best borrowed dress Loki could acquire. Apparently nothing in Freyja’s closet suited me. 

“I apologize for my mood earlier, Prince Thor.” I held up my hand. The Thunder God grabbed my hand. “Travel is incredibly stressful. I was in no state to meet the heir to Asgard’s throne.”

Thor smiled. No doubt, it was the same kind of smile because your mother told you to play nice. His mother was watching from her table, eyes bright with the motherly pressure everybody knows about. 

We all sat down. Myself by Loki and Freyja, while Loki sat by his mother and Thor beside her. While sipping tea, I looked towards the Queen. 

“I must admit.” Frigga lowered her tea cup. Her sons were tense by her side. Well for different reasons. Thor seemed tense because of the tea party, Loki seemed tense to not get caught in a lie. “I hadn’t known Midgard had a queen.”

Yes, I kicked Freyja in the shin. Could she complain? Not without causing problems. 

A pleased hum fell out of my mouth. Pretending to be enchanted by the topic, when really I was thinking of all the ways to stab Freyja with a fork. “Well I’m not so much a queen of Midgard as I am a queen  _ on _ Midgard. My people are a scattered bunch.”

Frigga sipped at her own tea. “How scattered?”

I can’t wait to see Freyja’s reaction. “They can be found all over! Everywhere on Midgard, some days.”

“Well, as a queen of a vast kingdom, I understand the struggle.” Frigga replied. “You seem to handle it enough.”

“Thank you, All-Mother. That is high praise from someone like you.” I had another bit of tea. Freyja was sitting as tense as a bowstring. She was ready for things to go wrong. Parties and the like weren’t her cup of tea. She preferred ones that would end on fire, or full of corpses. “I’m so sorry that my arrival caused such a stir. Really, we were trying to keep it quiet.”

“Yes. With the coronation so close, there is no such thing as a quiet guest.” Frigga explained. “Heimdall had just told me of you when my son came to alert me of your presence.”

“Ah, how fortunate.” I cheered, trying to keep myself from sounding tense. “Freyja, isn’t that fortunate?”

“It is, Morgan.” She took a bite of a small biscuit. “Don’t we just have the best luck?” Meaning:  _ your plan is going to get all of us killed. _

“That we do.” Meaning:  _ we will be kept alive by pure luck, and you know it _ .

“I am curious as to how you came to Asgard.” Frigga explained. “Heimdall did not welcome you.”

Again, I turned to Freyja. “All my travel was handled by Freyja. She invited me, after all.”

Frigga turned her focus to Freyja. I glanced at Loki, giving him a proud smirk. Loki smiled back. Freyja was probably thinking all the ways she could kill me with tea. I’m an American, she’s a Brit. These things come up.

The tea party continued with small chatter. The brothers would talk at each other, their mother stepping in to moderate. Freyja and I would exchange threats hidden in polite chatter. Thor and I barely spoke more than a few sentences. Frigga was paying closer attention to when I would talk to Loki.

We parted ways before sunset. As we cleared out, Frigga stopped me for a word.

“It’s good to see my son with such good friends.” Frigga cupped my hand just before I left. “Loki is lucky to have you both.”

_...did Frigga just-? Was that-? Approval? _

_ I can’t wait to tell Freyja, she’ll lose her fucking mind. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *gives myself a whole summer to write this update* Also me: *waits until night before to write it*  
> So thanks for checking in I’m still a piece of gArBaGe


	5. The Coronation

The coronation was a beautifully set up display. The grandiose use of gold being shined on by fire gives me the impression that this is the height of wealth. The room looked the way most imagine Heaven.

Bigger than that was the crowd. If anyone has ever gone shopping on Black Friday, you know how long it took to get a crowd this big together. Asgard handling a crowd this larger astounded me. Then again, Thor cheered them on like they were a Super Bowl stadium.

The prince himself was yet to arrive, along with Loki. The Warriors Three and Sif were here, milling about while conversing with the occasional passerby.

Freyja stood guard- sorry-  _ stood beside  _ me. Both of us were done up in the finery worthy of the top tier where we stood. Her, in bright golds and purples. Her hair let down to show off the multitude of curls she was infamous for. In respect to Alex Kingston, she was beautiful. As someone who knows where River Song has been, she was alright.

She and Loki worked together, conspiring to get me in queenly clothes. Dressing up to the standards of others was something I was familiar with, that I understood. Here people were talking about me like I was royalty, my kingdom a tight lipped secret to anyone not in the know. Nobody would respect a Midgardian total, obviously, as we were lowly apes. In this case, it was expected to feel like a Barbie doll. They put me in a dark blue dress, like the dark waters of Midgard. Gold jewelry was added in as a golden studded belt on my waist, golden arm guards, and golden sandals. Loki could tell by that point any more gold would get stuffed down Freyja’s throat, so instead he gave me a simple silver necklace and circlet. My hair was done curly, though they would never be as wild as Freyja’s.

Now we both stood near the dais. Waiting for the Royal Procession. Bored as all hell.

Well I was bored. Freyja was shifting on her feet, eyes constantly darting to the door.

“People will get suspicious if you keep acting like that.” I whispered, smiling for the sake of the crowd.

“This is going to implode in our faces.” Freyja told me. “This can’t work.”

“It will work, if you got the ice cubes and sprayed them with that spray bottle I gave you.” I replied. Freyja exhaled through her nose. “And the ants.”

“The guards won’t be fooled by  _ ants _ .” Freyja reminded me.

I hummed. “No they will not. Thor will though.”

“I never thought  _ you _ of all people wield magic.” Freyja pouted.

I rolled my eyes. “You can die and change your face. The love of your life does the exact same thing. We both came here cause of magic. Me casting spells is a limit to you?”

Freyja sighed, huffing while squaring back her shoulders. She had the look on her face- the face of being annoyed with me. It was a familiar expression on her. The expression actually comforted me while the Plan began. “Were it not for the laws of this land, I would throw you off the Bifrost.”

“I feel the same, my friend.” My smile widened, as real as the shade of pink painted on.

_ Except no I don’t. _

_ I may be mad at you, and forced to play nice with you for Loki’s sake, _

_ But I wouldn’t subject anyone to Thanos. _

As usual whenever the Titan came up, rage filled up in my chest. Rage burnt up like a toxin in me. If I opened my mouth, smoke was likely to come out. ( _ It’s how it works- I raised a dragon.) _

To my disgust, I wasn’t allowed to silently plan a murder in peace. Thor’s friends spotted me. They approached us. Freyja let my words sink in, hiding her suspicious air. She was an assassin- she should know better! 

“Hello there.” The actor had Prince Charming’s face- but he behaved like Prince James. It was easy to dislike him. “Lady Freyja, you didn’t tell us you brought a friend.” He added a sultry wink. “Are all Vanir this alluring?”

_ I will never understand people like you _

Sif was rolling her eyes. Volstagg was smiling proudly. Hogan looked like he was pretending not to know any of them.

“You couldn’t stay quiet for a full minute.” Sif noted.

Hogan hummed. Volstagg laughed, clutching his stomach. Fandral ignored all of them.

Freyja eyed Fandral like he was fan- _ dull _ .  _ Haha, when I can’t plan murder I tell bad jokes _ . “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Fandral dismissed the warning. He peered at me, leaning forward with what he thought was a seductive expression.

I leaned back towards Freyja. “Who is he and why is he greeting me?”

“You kn-” Freyja began. I cleared my throat, giving a small shake to my head. “-you know of Thor, the Warriors Three are his closest friends.”

“Ah, friends of Thor.” I stood straight again, giving Fandral a polite smile.

“Hello there, milady. I’m Fandral, of the Warriors Three.”

“Well met, Sir Fandral.”

“Indeed. But I have yet to learn the name of the beauty before me.” Fandral pointed out.

“I haven’t given it.” I replied.

“This is Lady Morgan.” Freyja introduced. “She has come far to see the coronation.”

“It’s the event of a lifetime.” I added, my smile tight.

Fandral laughed, sounding more like a dog barking. “Indeed! Thor is to be a great king of the realms. I can attest to his skills in battle-”

“And I can attest that the new King knows how to feast!” Volstagg threw his arm over Fandral’s shoulders. He shook his friend with the power of his laughs. “We will show you how Asgardians party!”

“Great.” I replied, not at all excited. The only good part was that the party would be cancelled. “I was actually hoping-”

“Don’t worry, I will save a dance for you.” Fandral winked at me.

“...Freyja could we get to our places?” Any more time around Fandral, I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t throw him across the room.

“But mildly, we have only just gotten to know one another.” Fandral pointed out. His  _ ‘flirting’  _ face was still going strong.

Freyja took my arm in her’s. “You’ll have time at the party, Fandral.” She walked me from the four. I was seething. “What complete idiots.”

“I hate that face, the guy’s a dick.” I huffed, running my hand along a golden bracelet. “I’m glad I threw another version into a torture river.”

Freyja hummed. “Did you? Tell me all about it.”

“Of course.”

As we walked to our assigned locations, we pointedly ignored the Warriors Three and Sif. They were all placed on the left side of the throne. Freyja and I were on the right to stand below the Queen and Loki. Due to my existence in hierarchy, I was above Freyja on the steps. 

Until the royal family arrived I could tell Freyja the story. Throwing Prince James into the River Styx was a fond memory. Pity there was no river to give Fandral. Well he wasn’t that bad, I just don’t like people flirting with me when I’m working. There was a time and place for flirting.

Also Fandral was just...such a dude bro. That was fine for other girls, let them have their fun with him. Him flirting with me was a nuisance more than a compliment. It was annoying, and my disinterest went completely over his head. It only frustrated me further.

Freyja understood that. It was weird that she still knew me so well. Weirder still that my sister wasn’t around to help. Usually she was the one getting men to flirt with her, I would get ignored. My sister  _ relished  _ in the attention, in the flirting back and forth. She shined in moments like that. All the better for me.

Without her, all that stood between me and the masses of guys was River Song.

_ I wanted my sister back. _

When my story ended, the doors to the room opened. King Odin All-Father walked in, Queen Frigga All-Mother at his side. They walked to the sounds of a cheering crowd. I applauded, glancing at Freyja to cue her. She applauded, looking very put upon.

_ Spoiled brat. _

_ What a great friend. _

The youngest prince came in. Loki’s applause was not as strong, and clearly not for him. The applause was anticipation for Thor- the star attraction. They applauded for the sake of appearances, and everyone knew it. A quick glance across the dais showed me the Warriors and Sif weren’t even pretending to care.

_ Disgusting. _

He was approaching us on the dais. My head tilted, a question in my eyes.

Loki gave a small nod of his head. His job had been convincing many of the guards that some other unlucky bastards had to watch the Vaults during the Coronation. If nobody else could make it, then it would be easier for me to slip in two fakes- ants changed to look like Asgardian soldiers. The Frost Giants has to get inside the Vault without being suspicious. Loki’s nod told me he had done his part. The fakes were in place.

It made me want to grin, happy everything so far was going to Plan.

He took his place on the dais. The two of us were exchanging silent knowing smiles. Behind me, Freyja was rolling her eyes.

The roar of the crowd doubled. Tripled? Numbers were hard when the entire kingdom was shouting. It went  _ deafening _ . 

_ Double disgusting. _

Thor made a  _ show  _ of himself. He tossed Mjolnir, he waved at the crowd, encouraging the roar of them. The crowd was actually annoying me, to the point that his showboating ass finally reaching us was a relief. That meant the cheering would stop soon. I could start working for a living.

Loki, Freyja, and I rolled our eyes. Completely uncoordinated, it was bonding. Everyone else up here was smiling proudly towards Thor. All of them saw this as his shining moment, his crowning glory, the part of a lifetime. 

“Is he serious?” Freyja asked me.

“Unfortunately.”

Thor gave the crowd a large wave, telling them to start cheering again. That thought of killing him came back, in a teasing voice too much like my sister’s. That thought was quickly stomped out. That was an idea for another day...

He approached dais. Odin silenced the crowd with a single loud  _ thud  _ of Gungnir. The hush of them was finally letting me  _ think _ . Thor knelt down, grinning at us like a proud puppy.

“Thor Odinson, my heir, my...first-born.” Odin began. “So long entrusted with the mighty hammer, Mjolnir. Forged in the heart of a dying star. It’s power has no equal! As a weapon to destroy, or as a tool to build. It is a fit companion for a King. I have defended Asgard, and the lives of the innocent across the Nine Realms, in the time of the Great Beginning. And though the day has come for a new King-”

Loki glanced subtly at me. I gave a small nod, sliding my eyes shut. None would notice. All the focus was on Thor and Odin. Nobody would even notice me working. I started mumbling a spell.

“Do you swear to guard the Nine Realms?” Odin asked his son.

“I swear.” Thor promised.

“And do you swear to preserve the peace?”

“I swear.”

The spell fought back. Something was...blocking it? I tried feeling the magic, seeing if it could go throw/under/over/around. The answer was around. The spell continued its working.

_ Oh the ants were dead. Well they weren’t meant to live, so that was good. _

The Frost Giants were nearly upon the Casket. 

“Do you swear, to cast aside all selfish ambition, and to pledge yourself only to the good of the realms?”

“I swear!”

_ Pfft, what a liar _

The crowd cheered with him.

I finished off the spell. It’s effectiveness would depend on how believable a staged crime scene could be.

“Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, will proclaim you-” Odin stopped, his eye staring off in the distance. “The Frost Giants.”

Odin left the dais. His two sons followed after him. Frigga took a position by the throne, giving a message to the concerned public.

Freyja stepped up to my side. “So it worked?”

“Not yet.” I whispered. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

Freyja huffed. “Killing him is still an option.”

“Well yeah but it’s a bad one.”

==L==

Even though he watched her perform magic, Loki doubted the abilities of Queen Morgan. She was only a Midgardian. How could her magic be better than his? Freyja held doubts too Still, Morgan insisted on it. 

With what Loki was seeing, he could no longer doubt her. The entire Vault room was covered in a layer of frost, with some spots burnt to a crisp. He doubted for a moment that the blue limbs were their fakes, unable to detect magic. A closer look with his seidr showed Morgan’s spellwork. Not just a skin deep illusion, this fakery went  _ deep _ into the marrow of these Frost Giant limbs. The fake guards had been killed too- cut down by Frost Giants before Morgan’s spell.

She insisted the magic would teleport them wherever she wanted. Loki didn’t know what a  _ ‘magic fax machine’  _ was, but Freyja seemed to understand enough.

Every part of the plan had been complicated, intricate, set up so if one step failed  _ all of it  _ failed. The odds of it going perfectly were slim. It was insane...which was of course one of the many reasons Loki said yes.

Seeing the results? Loki couldn’t deny that he was impressed.

Two ants and three ice cubes, that’s all it would take to show everyone the true colors of Thor Odinson.

Thor and Odin hadn’t noticed the deception. Odin perhaps was too familiar with the attacks of the Frost Giants to suspect anything, and Thor was blinded by rage.

The Destroyer backed into it’s domain. The sight of the All-Father enough to make it docile. 

“The Jotuns must pay for what they’ve done!” Thor raged.

“They have paid.” Odin countered. “With their lives.”

Loki wondered if they indeed made it to wherever Morgan sent them. If they had, would they not just kill themselves in shame? He suspected Morgan already thought of that. There was nothing to be done if those Frost Giants had chosen a coward’s death. 

“The Destroyer did it’s work, the Casket is safe, and all is well.” Odin assured his sons.

“All is well?” Thor repeated. The very idea of not being in battle right now was setting him off. Loki couldn’t believe how well everything was going for him. “They broke into the Weapons Vault! If the Frost Giants had stolen even  _ one  _ of these relics-”

“But they didn’t.” Odin interrupted him.

“Well, I want to know why!” Thor yelled, waving Mjolnir.

“I have a truce with Laufey, King of the Jotun.” Odin reminded Thor. 

“He just  _ broke _ your truce! They know you’re vulnerable.” Thor argued.

Odin considered his son’s words. Not in the way Thor wished he would, rather it was exactly what Loki wished. He turned to better face his son, acknowledging him as an equal to hear his council. “What action would you take?”

“March into Jotunheim as you once did, teach them a lesson, break their spirits so they’ll never dare-try to cross our borders again!” Thor explained, boisterous and bold. 

“You’re thinking only as a warrior!” Odin scolded.

Loki was  _ loving this _ . He fought to show it on his face, show this vindicated glee. 

“This was an act of war!”

“It was the act of but a few, doomed to fail.”

“Look how far they got!”

“We will find the breach in our defenses, and it will be sealed.”

“As King of Asgard-”

“But you’re not King!” Odin shouted, speaking over his son with a commanding tone. The tone of a well worn king who knew the power he wielded, the command he could take. It was the tone of a man who knew he’d chosen wrong. “Not yet.”

Loki wasn’t sure how he would do it yet. He would find a way to repay Morgan, or reward her for this. Perhaps teaching her some Asgardian spellcasting, all the better to prank her librarian friend. She had more than earned any reward. Freyja could get a new dagger, or perhaps an alien blaster- she liked those.

==L==

I could hear the noise from down the hall. The sounds of a table being turned over on it’s side, nobody could miss something that big. Freyja turned to me, looking concerned. Not that there was any reason to be concerned. Everything was going perfectly.

Together, we walked into the banquet hall. The Warriors Three and Sif were coming in too.

“What’s this?” Volstagg exclaimed, motioning with his big arms to the upturned table. 

Instead of focusing on the table or the food covered floor, I looked over towards Loki. He was sitting beside Thor. They were more interesting to watch. Yeah I wasn’t interested watching Volstagg gather up the fallen food, or watch the other three try to find some logic, or watch Freyja try to get my attention.

“If its any consolation, I think you’re right.” Look told his brother. In the silence of the room, his voice carried. “About the Frost Giants, about Laufey, about everything. If they found a way to penetrate the Asgard defenses once, who’s to say they won’t try again. Next time with an army.”

“Exactly!” Thor shook his head. His only thought was probably something about how his father was too lenient on the  _ ‘monsters parents earn their children about at night’ _ . 

“There’s nothing you can do, without defying Father.” Loki explained. Thor started to stand, a set look on his face and his eyebrows scrunched up in thought. “No. No, no, no, no, no. I know that look!”

“Its the only way to ensure the safety of our borders.” Thor argued.

“Thor, Its madness.” Loki insisted. The quote made me want to wince. If my sister were around, we could snicker at the dark foreshadowing there.

“Madness? What sort of madness?” Volstagg asked, holding up a plate full of snacks.

“We’re going to Jotunheim.” Thor declared. He said it with the seriousness of someone not proposing a death sentence for his friends. 

Loki gave a solemn nod. Yep. This was the logical progression for this path. It had come up when discussing this plan. Freyja said that nobody could be that stupid. Thor just proved me right. On principle, Freyja would be annoyed with that. Loki expressed disappointment in his brother then, and he was doing it now.

“What?” Volstagg gawked.

Freyja pinched the side of her head, rubbing it. “You...actual idiot.”

“This isn’t like a journey to Earth, where you summon a little lightning and thunder, and the mortals worship you as a god.” Fandral cautioned, showing the first bit of sense. “This is Jotunheim.”

“My  _ father  _ fought his way into Jotunheim.” Thor reminded his friends. As if they needed reminding that his father was someone important, someone to be revered, to be followed. “Defeated their armies, and took their Casket. We would just be looking for answers.”

I sat beside Loki, eager to have a barrier between myself and the stupidity. Loki was surrounded by it his entire life, and he had something like sense. He could keep it back. Loki was running his hand down his face. My expression was probably looking like I was watching a car accident. It’s what it felt like.

“It is forbidden!” Sif reminded.

Thor laughed.  _ ‘I’m rich, and the new king, regular rules don’t apply to me. Don’t call the police, I own them.’ _ “My friends, have you forgotten all that we’ve done together? Fandral, Hogun? Who led you into the most glorious of battles?”

“You did.” Hogun conceded with a fond grin.

“And Volstagg, to delicacies so succulent, you thought you’d died and gone to Valhalla?” Thor asked.

“You did.” Volstagg took a bite from the collection of foods he’d saved.

“Yes.” Turning to the fifth in their group, Thor boasted to a clearly unconvinced Sif. “And who proved wrong all who scoffed at the idea that- a young maiden could be one of the fiercest warriors, this Realm has ever known?”

“I did.” Sif answered.

“True. But I supported you, Sif.” That was it. That was it took- she was on his side now. Thor turned to Freyja. “And Lady Freyja, who was it that convinced a room of generals to allow a Vanir Noble among us?”

“Loki.” Freyja answered. “And Queen Frigga.”

“Yes, but I asked for you to join us in the first place.” Thor explained.

_ Wow. Does anybody else smell the bullshit? _

Loki did. That was assuring.

“And  _ Lady _ Morgan.” He emphasized the title, as his friends weren’t in the know about my crown. It didn’t sit right with me. The lying was fine, just Thor giving me attention felt wrong.

_ Ah, no. Don’t let him try something dumb and stupid. Not to get me on his side. _

“Would you not enjoy the spectacle of battle?” Thor offered. “To see the way Asgard fights?” 

“This dainty girl couldn’t swat a fly.” Fandral began. “Even if she is a friend of Freyja, she is a Lady. Ladies without battle experience have no place on the battlefield.”

_ This bitch. _

I immediately dashed for him. Even among all my finery, my suit was expertly hidden. The bo staff shot out from one of the studs on my belt. It grew out to normal length. In an instant the staff was out, hitting Fandral in the back before sending him stumbling forward. He tripped on a toppled over dish.

The staff moved back too. It hit his legs, knocking him down. I made a point to kick a ruined dish forward. The dish was in the right place for his face to  _ splat  _ on.

“I would appreciate it if next time you would insult me to my face. Then there would be a challenge before knocking you down.” I explained. Fandral spat out the remains of a pie. His friends all chortled. “Sorry, what? This _ lady  _ has  _ dainty lady ears _ . I can’t catch that.”

Fandral pushed himself upright, holding up his hands. “Alright, alright! I apologize.”

Sif came to my side. Freyja too. “Go slower next time. I was hoping to hit him with a throwing dagger.” Freyja explained.

“Or I with my sword.” Sif added. Both of them giving Fandral annoyed expressions.

“I promise, I’ll never doubt a female warrior again.” Fandral bargained.

Volstagg laughed. Wow, the confidence these friends have in each other. It’s really great that they are so willing to stand together, especially as we’re headed into battle.

“So,  _ Lady _ Morgan.” Thor tries to bring it back to his original point. “What do you say?”

“Don’t get me wrong. This whole plan is stupid and will get one of you killed.” I stated.

“Likely by the touch of a Frost Giant. Instant death in that.” Freyja reminded them. “Freezing to death from a single touch.”

“But if nobody goes with you folks, then you’ll definitely die.” I stated, being purposefully foreboding. “So fine.”

Thor beamed. He showed his friends, and the three people capable of complex thought, his mad wad hungry grin. “My friends, We’re going to Jotunheim.”

I did the  _ ‘Jim from the Office’  _ face. It made Loki smile so wide he looked away. Freyja liked it too, that was nice. 

The Plan was working...hopefully Loki wouldn’t get too upset that I was planning for his brother to get banished to Earth. Thor needed some downtime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why did this take so long? Because I got Sims4 for $10 and became obsessed. I have so many tots...so many families...I haven’t seen my own family in days...not that I’m complaining, I love these killable idiots, but still...so much time lost...  
> Hey if the Vault is below Asgard then where the hell is the undead army? Is it under-under Asgard?  
> Also in a rewatch of Thor for this chapter, Anthony Hopkins paused before saying “firstborn”. It cut to Frigga giving him a look that said “jfc did you really just do that”. Thought that was funny.


	6. Battle for the Jotunhiem

After deciding on this plan, Thor brought his friends and mine to get ready.

The Warriors 3 and Sif focused on preparing their weapons. From behind them all, I watched. This was about collecting information.

Freyja blocked my path. “You know you must change out of that dress.”

“Fine, yeah.” I reached for the release on the suit. “Just give me a-”

“No. That suit won’t work. Your armor is latex.” Freyja deadpanned.

“No! It’s a highly durable complex material-” I began.

“It’s a circus parade.” Freyja countered. 

I rolled my eyes. Freyja had worn worse outfits. Why was I suddenly getting third degree? The outfit barely mattered, the concern was in how I could avoid being attacked by Jötunn. The suit was just fine. I worked hard on the thing.

“Here.” Loki’s hands glowed with magic.

I stood still. Freyja jumped back. Loki’s magic whirled around me.

The magic settled. It felt more firm than a simple illusion. I checked it. The metal was firm. He’d definitely stolen this. I loved it. The metal was a shining Asgardian steel. 

“Thank you.” I praised Loki. “I like it. It’s even got a hood like my suit!”

He smiled. “It was no trouble.”

“Of course not. He stole it from Sif.” Freyja told them. I smiled. He did steal it, I was right. “She’ll kill you when she finds out.”

“On the contrary. It cannot belong to Lady Sif- she and Queen Morgan are different sizes.” Loki countered. The biggest mischievous grin on his face as he was saying it.

“They are the same height!” Freyja argued. 

“Not that size,  _ sweetheart _ .” I teased, adding a wink to fuck with her. Freyja rolled her eyes to the heavens in annoyance. “Then again I am really not digging the design of the chestplate anyway...”

At Freyja’s glare of  _ ‘how can I kill you in public and get away with it _ ’, I sent Loki a smile. The smile he gave back was different than I expected. There wasn’t much mischief to it- instead this was a more pleasant surprise. He smiled in this way, a hesitant curl of the lip and confused tilt to the eyebrows. He didn’t understand my smile, that at our antics I would even want to smile  _ with him _ .

It made my heart hurt for him. How had things been for him that when someone liked his traits he became confused? He deserved a lot better. Loki would  _ get  _ a lot better. What use was learning about friendship from the most renowned experts if I never put their lessons to use?

Loki decided how best to handle these feelings. Ignore them. He turned towards his brother, leaving Freyja and myself behind. “Brother, Lady Morgan is properly outfitted.”

“Excellent!” Thor’s voice boomed. That sucked. It really, really sucked. “With that solved, our next step is that we must find a way to get past Heimdall.”

Freyja held my arm, walking me to a weapon’s table. I declined any, instead holding up my bo staff. Freyja gave me a sword. I declined. Freyja held up a dagger. In respect to my sister and Loki, I declined.

“That will be no easy task. It’s said the Gatekeeper can see a single drop of dew fall from a blade of grass a thousand worlds away.” Volstagg cautioned his friends.

“Yes and he can hear a cricket passing gas in Niflheim.” Fandral teased.

Loki saw Freyja’s trouble. He glanced at my staff, then the weapons. Freyja offered me a crossbow, I declined.

“Jest not!” Volstagg warned. “He heareth all!”

“Please! Getting past him should be simple enough now. Since he seems that he’s letting Frost Giants sneak by under his nose.” Fandral laughed.

“He meaneth no offense.” Volstagg spoke his quiet prayer.

Loki handed me a wooden spear. It wasn’t a normal one, I could tell immediately after holding it. Though it looked to be made of steel, in my hand I felt wood. This staff held strength. It held its own kind of magic. This thing was  _ tough _ . This...was this what it was like to get a wand from Olivanders? That’s what this felt like. 

“It is made of Asgardian wood, and varnished with our metal. It will be more reliable than your Midgardian weaponry.” Loki explained.

“I like this.” I praised, my thumbs tracing the silver wood. “Thank you.”

Again, the show of genuine praise confused him. Instead he walked behind us towards an attending servant.

Freyja huffed in annoyance. She held my arm. “Come. You’re riding with me.”

“Ew no.” I flinched from her in disgust.

“You have no other options.” Freyja scolded.

“I told you about Freyja’s hog. Why would I want to ride anything of your’s?” I argued.

“It’s not like you’re actually riding the Doctor!” Freyja argued.

It was in my head. The image was stuck in my head! This wasn’t what I wanted, this wasn’t nice. “ _ Do not do this to me!” _ I should beat her with this stick, test it out on a living being. Freyja wouldn’t mind after a good swing.

Loki stepped in between us. “Lucky for you then we have horses to spare.” Loki put a hand on my back, guiding me to a horse. 

==L==

This horse loved me. Not only that, he was a great conversationalist. He really enjoyed fast races in the forest of Asgard.

Thor halted our party as we approached the Bifrost. We all climbed from our horses, myself being the last.

The horse- named Ketil, after his dark eyes and  _ not  _ his coat, no matter  _ what  _ the other horses said- noticed my stress. He asked what was wrong. It was hard to explain that the heights below gutted me. That each second here reminded me of this movie’s end.

_ No Loki _

I neighed softly. Hogan side eyed me. Not that it mattered, none of them would be able to stop the disaster that was coming. Or make me feel better. Ketil did a good job though. He was the only man I could ever respect.

“Leave this to me.” Loki cautioned the group. He walked ahead, meeting with the well imposing figure of Heimdall. “Good Heimdall-”

“You’re not dressed warmly enough.” Heimdall advised.

“I’m sorry?” Loki asked, verbally stumbling.

“Do you think that you can deceive me?” Heimdall asked, challenging.

“You must be mistaken-” Loki tried. 

“Enough!” Thor snapped. Loki lowered his head in submission. I made to move forward, Freyja stopping me. “Heimdall, may we pass?”

“Never has an enemy slipped my watch, until this day.” Heimdall admitted. His bright Orange eyes glanced to Loki before going back to Thor.  _ The utter cock _ . “I wish to know how that happened.” 

“Then tell no one where we’ve gone, until we’ve returned. Understand?” Thor ordered.

Heimdall nodded.

_ Fuck you, Heimdall. You’re cool but you have no reason to hate Loki _

_ He was  _ saving people

_ Doing his  _ best

_ It was your betrayal that let everything fall like it did _

_ Double fuck you _

The rest of the Warriors were smiling. It sickened me worse than the dismissals of Loki. Not only was it Heimdall’s fault, the Warriors and Sif hadn’t helped. Thinking about their actions was actually making me mad.

“What happened? Your silver tongue turn to lead?” Volstagg mocked him.

Loki was still standing where Thor left him. I can see how this was concerning him. Loki’s plan hinged on us stopping here. 

“You tried, good job.” I praised him.

Loki eyed me, his eyes darting to me and the observatory. “Morgan-” He hissed in a whisper.

“Everything is going to plan.” I told him. “Okay? It’s all working fine.”

Loki did not look convinced. My own silver tongue was hardening in my mouth. This required quick thinking.

“Wait what happened to the horses?” I asked loudly.

Thor and the Warriors halted. Freyja sighed. “They fell over the side, who cares?” Freyja dismissed.

“You heartless vagabond!” _ Not Ketil- no! He was so nice!  _ Freyja was smiling too widely at me. She was either playing along or being a bitch. “Ketil better be okay.”

“You  _ named _ a borrowed horse?” Fandral asked.

“He named himself! I was the only one polite enough to ask.” I argued. 

Heimdall stopped me. Freyja stood by my side. “I do not remember your arrival either.”

I gave him a confused smile. “You didn’t notice where the horses went-”

“Back to their stables.” Heimdall answered. “They took the doors you entered from.”

“I didn’t hear the door.” I pointed out.

“Your focus was elsewhere.” Heimdall answered again. 

“Funny, that, how losing one’s focus can conceal the truth.” I remarked, raising the hood on the armor.

Heimdall narrowed the orange eyes in me. I didn’t shake in fear of them. They would not scare me as they did before. 

I delayed as long as I could. With a silent apologetic look to Loki, he gave a solemn nod. There was nothing more we could really do short of killing them. Though I’m sure Freyja would like that plan (River usually did).

Heimdall ushered us into the observatory dome. His sword glowed bright in its stand as he slid it into place. Lightning started to fly off the sword, hitting the spinning outer dome.

“Be warned.” Heimdall spoke over the buzzing. “I will honor my sworn oath, to protect this Realm as its Gatekeeper. If your return threatens the safety of Asgard, Bifrost will remain closed to you. And you’ll be left to die in the cold wastes of Jotunheim.” 

“Charming.” Freyja huffed.

“Couldn’t you just leave the bridge open for us?” Fandral asked him.

“To leave the bridge open, would unleash the full power of the Bifrost, and destroy Jotunheim with you upon it.” Heimdall cautioned.

“I have no plans to die today.” Thor boomed with a laugh.

“None do.” Heimdall warned.

Then I got the pleasure of feeling the power of the Bifrost for myself _. _

==L==

Jotunheim was cold.

River Song never saw much point in the atmosphere of a place. Everything was window dressing to the actual interesting bits, the stuff going on beneath the surface. 

Besides, the Jotunheim didn’t have much for a surface. The entire landscape was lit in dark blue moonlight. River barely saw anything of the place. She could make out the trees, a sparsely dense forest of trees taller than most buildings and palaces. Mountains were seen, and some seen through with cracks running along them. There were structures that most likely were once dazzling buildings. They were in ruins now.

None of that touched on how cold the whole place was. It was seeping into her bones through her armor. River convinced herself the void of space was warmer than this place. How could any species live here? Sure, the Antarctic back home was full of creatures surviving, they got sunlight. Jotunheim looked as though it never felt even one ray of it.

The planet was terrible to be in. No sane person could live here.

Which of course meant one person really wanted to be here.

“Wow.” Morgan spoke, looking around at the vastness of the planet. She spoke with reverence in her tone.

River wondered how the Doctor could stand it. How much time lost on planets like this at Morgan’s request? Then again, that was the sort of thing the Doctor loved. This complete love for new planets, all the naive humans he could show the universe to make fall in line with him. River’s parents were the same. 

River huffed. “Morgan! We don’t have time for you to fall in love with architecture!” She scolded, grabbing her arm to pull Morgan away.

“But it’s so beautiful!” Morgan complained, pitifully. “The landscape too! Look at that mountain range, it’s a wonder!”

River continued to drag Morgan along. “Of  _ course  _ you’d love the Jotunheim.”

“It’s amazing!” Morgan argued with her. “Look at it! I can list it! Everything’s cold, I don’t see another life for miles, and  _ the view will literally be what my Heaven is.” _

“Do not be fooled.” Thor warned. “This place is a hellscape.”

Morgan sneered in disagreement. The annoyance fell away as she looked up at the sky. River wondered if there was a cliff to push her from.

“We shouldn’t be here.” Hogun stated. That was properly cryptic.

“Too late now.” Thor told them.

“Actually it’s not. We could turn right around, hop back to Asgard, share a mug by the fire. Could be nice.” Fandral offered.

“I like that option.” River would much rather be sitting around the ugly golden city than the uglier blue wasteland.

“Perhaps we should wait.” Loki cautioned.

“For what?” Thor questioned. He was impatiently walking ahead of the group.

“To survey the enemy. To gauge their strengths and weaknesses from a distance.” Loki explained. This was what someone rational would be doing, River would be doing that. Morgan might be doing that.

“He’s right.” Ah, see? Morgan was agreeing. “We should know how many we’re fighting too. You know, to keep us from being overpowered?”

“We know all we must. It’s time to act.” Thor started marching ahead. This forced his friends to follow, lest they let Thor get himself killed alone.

“He’s just got to swing his hammer.” Sif huffed.

River agreed with her. Everyone else had swords or something sharp, Morgan had a very big stick she insisted on using. They all had to work harder to not-die than Thor, a man protected by his royal status and magic hammer. River walked closer to Morgan, keeping her from wandering off to explore this frozen wasteland.

“It feels good, doesn't it? To be together again, adventuring on another world?” Thor asked. No doubt he could tell the air in his hunting party was tense.

“Adventuring? Is that what we're doing?” Fandral asked.

“What would you call it?” Thor asked them, grinning widely at the idea of an adventure.

“Freezing.” Fandral offered.

“Starving.” Volstagg offered.

“Dying.” River suggested.

“Whining.” Sif narrowed her eyes on her friends.

“How about a song to lift our spirits?” Thor asked.

The Warriors 3, Sif, and Loki groaned. Morgan was too busy looking at a floating monolith.

“No, not that!” Hogun asked.

“Please don't make us sing again!” Sif pleaded.

“If I have to listen to Volstagg’s singing voice one more time, I’ll fall on my own sword!” Fandral pleaded.

“Well, now I'm on board.” Sif cheered.

“I’ll offer my own sword, if you want it.” River held it up to prove it.

_ “Did you ever think as a hearse goes by that you may be the next to die?” _ Morgan started singing. River wanted to run her through with a sword. It didn’t help that the song sounded depressing. “ _ They wrap you up in a big white sheet from your head down to your feet. As worms crawl in and worms crawl out, in your stomach and out your snout-” _

River glared. “Why do you insist on  _ speaking _ .”

“Because it annoys you.” Morgan replied easily, still looking over the landscape.  _ “And your eyes fall out and your teeth decay- that is the end of a perfect day.” _

“That song is depressing.” Loki noted.

“You would know, brother.” Thor teased. All of his friends laughed.

River looked over to Morgan and Loki. Loki was glaring in annoyance, while Morgan gave him an assuring smile. For all that River disliked him, she had to admit that Loki didn’t deserve that.

They walked in frozen silence for the next twenty minutes. River spotted the edge of the Frost Giant city. Everything was a disaster, a war front that never cleared up. A thousand years, they never cleaned up. River doubted they needed the Casket to repair cities back to any former greatness. 

“Where are they?” Sif questioned.

“Hiding. As cowards always do.” Thor dismissed.

River doubted they were cowardly. Morgan seemed sympathetic to them. For all that Morgan’s heart bled, River rarely saw Morgan act kind towards a species that didn’t deserve. Asgard held no love to their blue neighbors...that could just be part of it.

“What is your business here, Asgardian?” A voice boomed. River looked- seeing a twenty foot being standing guard. Even with his height, River only saw him for the red in his eyes. His blue skin helped him blend into the frozen wall behind him.

“I speak only to your King. Not to his foot soldiers.” Thor insulted. 

“Then speak.” A different voice ordered. 

River would never admit to anyone- not even Morgan- that the voice struck fear in her. She looked ahead. Another figure could be seen amongst the wall. A pair of red eyes glaring out at the group of intruders.

She knew his name before he spoke a word.

“I am Laufey, King of this Realm.” 

“And I am-”

“We know who you are, Odinson.” Laufey dismissed. “Why have you brought the stench of your blood into my world?”

“I demand answers.” Thor ordered.

“You  _ ‘demand’ _ ?” Laufey repeated, taunting the boy-king.

“How did your people get into Asgard?” Thor shouted

“The house of Odin is full of traitors.” Laufey answered easily.

“Do not dishonor my father’s name with your lies!” Thor spat.

Laufey stood to his full height. River tightened her hand, itching to have a pistol for attack instead of a sword. She heard Morgan curse at her side. 

“Your father is a murderer and a thief.” Laufey accused. “He stole what was ours, and left our world in ruins. We have the right to reclaim the Casket.”

“Not when you’d use it to make war against other Realms.” Thor argued right back. River doubted he meant that Laufey would use it against Earth, as the stories said, moreover they would use it on Asgard.

Laufey laughed. “And why have you come here? To make peace? You long for battle. You  _ crave _ it! You’re nothing but a boy, trying to prove himself a man.”

River glanced around. She inched closer to Morgan. “You hear it?”

“Cracking ice.” Morgan confirmed. “Multiple Jotuns...I’m saying 20.”

“I would’ve said 15.”

“Some in the mountain structure around us.” Morgan reported.

River carefully glanced up. Morgan was right- again.

“This boy has grown tired of your mockery.” Thor growled.

Many of the Frost Giants growled. River saw them step from their hiding places. Many grew axes from their hands of pure ice, many grew daggers and swords. Loki stepped up to Thor’s side, pulling his brother back. The golden prince stared up in rage at the King.

“Thor, stop and think. Look around you. We are outnumbered.” Loki cautioned.

“Know your place, brother.” Thor hissed.

“You should listen to his counsel. You know not what your actions would unleash. But I do.” Laufey warned. His voice was grave. The results of the last war sat all around them, River couldn’t blame him for that caution. “Go now, while I still allow it.”

“We will accept your most gracious offer. Come on, brother.” Loki tried to drag Thor back with him.

The golden prince refused to move.

River heard ice creaking all around them. The growing hoard of Frost Giants were coming ever closer. The Frost Giant who stood as sentry stepped forward to glare with Thor.

Loki put his hand on Thor’s arm. It got the golden prince to cave. He huffed angrily, storming off. 

“Run back home, little princess.” The Frost Giant taunted.

“Damn.” Loki mumbled.

“Yeah...we’re dead.” Morgan agreed.

“That lunatic.” River grumbled.

Thor threw his hammer into the face of the Frost Giant. It came out with a loud crack.

“Next!” Thor shouted, laughing.

Still, with no gun in hand, River ran into battle.

==L==

Loki didn’t like that his brother instigated a fight. He didn’t like that they ended up on Jotunheim, despite all of his and Morgan’s efforts. Loki tried to keep track of the battlefield. More and more Frost Giants rushed out into the fight. Loki was working on keeping himself alive- tricking various ways of killing Frost Giants.

Morgan seemed to be the only one showing restraint. As the weakest of the group, that must make sense. Though the Frost Giants thought the same. They were coming at her with aggression.

“At least make it a challenge for me!” Thor shouted. One Frost Giant charged at him, making Thor hit him in the face with Mjolnir. “That’s more like it!”

Loki heard Volstagg cry out in pain.

“Don’t let them touch you!” Volstagg warned.

Loki saw one Frost Giant charging at him. Morgan stepped in the way, smacking the Frost Giant’s head with the staff. She smiled at him. Loki found himself smiling back- once again trying to push down the warm feeling bubbling in his chest. Especially as another Frost Giant rushed at them both.

With no time to cast an illusion, Loki pushed Morgan to the side with the hope of gutting the beast. Instead, the Frost Giant grabbed his arm. Already Loki could feel the coldness of it seeping through his armor, biting into his skin. His armor cracked away, with the blue skin touching his pale white.

Loki expected to feel the frostbite. He expected to cry out in pain as Volstagg had done.

Instead his arm turned blue.

==L==

I knocked the Jotun’s leg then uppercut his jaw with the Asgardian staff. He fell back. His only sign of his life was his falling and rising chest. It took trial and error for that to knock them out rather than outright murder. This thing was like a fucking baseball bat times thirty.

When I turned to Loki he was staring at his blue arm. It was shifting back to a pale tone without the Jotun’s touch to bring it back. I put my hand on his other shoulder. Loki flinched back, staring up at me with wide fearful eyes.

“We need to leave!” I yelled at him. “Back to the BiFrost!”

His expression was still one of loss. Loki nodded along with my plan.

At that moment, we could head Fandral screaming.

==L==

River watched the head of a Frost Giant bounce on the ground. She heard Fandral screaming. When she looked for him, she spotted him with his shoulder impaled on ice. 

The group converged on their fallen comrade. Morgan whacked an approaching Frost Giant with the staff, as it fighting them was a new form of baseball. River kept a defensive position with Sif as Volstagg and Hogun lifted Fandral off the ice.

“Thor!” Sif called out, swiping her double sided sword.

River lashed out her large sword. It cut a Frost Giant on the chest. She heard Thor’s laugh on the breeze. 

Fandral yelled out in pain. 

“We must go!” Loki tried to get his brother’s attention. 

Morgan and Loki held up the rear as they evacuated. Volstagg carried Fandral. River, Sif, and Hogun worked to clear the path. Thor was arrogantly taking on the hoard by himself.

The very act of it was enraging the King. Laufey cast out his hand. River wished she’d watched the movie with Amy and Rory so she could know what was happening next. 

Unfortunately River got her wish. A large rampaging  _ beast  _ came out from a crevice. It stood over a hundred feet, with ice for skin and glaciers for teeth. It roared out. Red eyes narrowed on them. The beast found his prey. It gave chase.

The Warriors, Loki, River, and Morgan ran from it.

“Morgan. What can you do?” River prompted.

Morgan seemed conflicted for a split moment. River saw there was an idea ticking behind her eyes. “It’s insane and I don’t like it!” Morgan cautioned. She tucked her gifted staff back into her Bag.

“Do it!” River yelled.

She nodded. 

As the group began to run, River heard Morgan chanting. River couldn’t see exactly what was happening- all she saw was a golden glow.

She couldn’t see the skies of Jotunheim anymore, nor could she feel the ground shaking beneath her feet. As they ran, River noticed it stopped being so cold. 

“It’s warm.” Fandral noted, agreeing with River.

The sky was blue as it was on Earth. Ice was no longer beneath their feet, instead it was the brightest green grass. The mountain ranges that Morgan praised earlier actually looked beautiful now. This area stretched out for a few hundred yards. Jotunheim did not look like a wasteland, it looked like a paradise.

River checked on her friend. Morgan breathed a harsh breath, sweat already on her brow. She was trembling, putting a hand on River’s shoulder for balance. The glow still came brightly from her hands.

“How long can you hold it?” She tried to make her voice louder than the beast’s mandibles pounding on the shield.

Morgan clenched her teeth. Her eyes were squeezed tight. River pretended not to notice the tears coming down from her cheeks. “Long enough, I hope.”

“How did you manage to make this?” Sif quizzed.

“It’s no doubt taking all her focus to maintain this shield! Do not distract her.” Loki scolded. “We need to keep moving!”

“Can’t we wait here for-” Fandral asked.

The beast banged their head on the barrier. They were the only thing of the original Jotunheim visible. That Frost Giants were too small at this distance.

Morgan cried out, curling up. The glow flickered a moment. The large shield did as well. 

“Run!” Volstagg shouted. 

River grabbed Morgan’s arm, helping her up. She ran alongside Morgan to keep the Traveler in pace. The enchantment was putting a strain on her friend. She sagged with every breath, her face scrunched up like she had been stabbed.

They made it to the drop point of the Bifrost. 

“Heimdall! Open the bridge!” Loki called out.

No light came from the sky. All that existed was the illusion crafted by Morgan’s shield. The warmth beaming down feeling so good...River was reminded of cocoa after a snowy day, and stories with her parents. Sleepovers with her mother in her front yard, waiting for the Doctor. 

This warmth was not so basic as one from a fireplace or a warming charm. This warmth reminded River of home. It kept biting cold from her skin, and filled up her heart with something loving.

_ Where did Morgan learn magic like that? _

Morgan screamed out in pain. The beast attacked the shield once again. The scream cut off sharply. 

Morgan fell into Loki’s arms. River went to her friend’s side. Morgan had fainted. Whatever spell she used took up so much of her energy.

“Morgan?” Loki whispered to her. “Morgan!”

Her eyes blinked open. She looked up at Loki and River in a daze. River was shaken by how foggy Morgan’s eyes were. River wasn’t used to seeing Morgan so low.

Morgan hummed, curling tighter to Loki. He stiffened, quickly transitioning Morgan into River’s arms. Before River could ask anything, Loki backed away from them both. He stared at his hands in dismay. 

Thor showed up then. He flew through the mighty beast. He and his hammer tore them apart by the throat. River saw through the gaping hole.

Thor landed in the middle of his friends. He smiled, overjoyed. None of this was real. It was all a bloody game to him. Even as Frost Giants took advantage of the disappeared shield, converging on them like maggots on a corpse, Thor smiled.

And now the closest thing River had to family in this reality was dying over it.

_ Why can’t I just kill him again? _

A light came from the sky. A large glowing bridge fired down from the sky to land around the Asgardians.

Odin stood, seated on his war horse. Sleipnir’s cry was a welcome sign. They were finally safe. River could get Morgan help.

“Father! We’ll finish them together!” Thor cheered. He raised his fist, Mjolnir tight for another throw.

“Silence!” Odin ordered.

Thor’s throwing arm lowered.

Morgan shivered again. River hugged her tight, trying to get color back on her friend’s face.

“All-Father. You look weary.” Laufey taunted.

“Laufey. End this now.” Odin ordered.

“Your boy sought this out.” Laufey challenged.

“You’re right. These are the actions of a boy. Treat them as such.” Odin instructed.

River checked Morgan’s head. Her friend was burning up with fever. She shook with a chil, curling tighter on herself. Whatever magic Morgan used, she risked far too much to do it.

_ Was this a part of your plan? _

_ Was it worth it? _

_ We were supposed to stop all of this from happening. Look at what it’s cost you. _

_ I shouldn’t have summoned you. That was my mistake. You always give too much, you idiot. _

“You and I can end this, here and now. before there’s further bloodshed.” Odin offered.

“We are beyond diplomacy now, All-Father. He’ll get what he came for... war and death.” Laufey warned.

“So be it.” Odin replied.

They were swept over by light. The only color River saw was the amber of Morgan’s eyes.

==L==

Laufey watched the Bifrost fade, taking the retreating Asgardians with it. He sneered at the image of Odin’s boy. 

Someone tapped his arm. Laufey glanced at him in acknowledgement.

“The witch...she did something to the ground.” The warrior reported.

Laufey cared little for it. He cared more for his fallen people. “It was falling apart already. Tend to the dead you can find-”

“King Laufey, she did not break it.” The warrior corrected. “She  _ fixed it _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I used deleted scenes. What the fuck are you gonna do about it?  
> I’m bad at writing fight scenes so I wanted to give you guys some better scenes to look at. My fight scenes make no sense. Instead I just go magic-magic-magic, hoping y’all like it.   
> Please leave a comment! It lets me know y’all like what you’re reading. Even if you don’t like it, comment what’s wrong! How can I learn if nobody tells me what’s wrong?  
> I also want to stress it’s not a chapter written by me if Morgan doesn’t suffer.


	7. Lie A Little Better

The glow of the Bifrost faded, revealing the golden glow of Asgard. 

Morgan again fainted. Lady Freyja caught her, brushing back her hair from her sweating forehead. Morgan groaned in pain. Freyja never looked at anything else but her friend.

Loki panicked. This couldn’t have gone worse. Everything was falling apart in his hands. Even the thought of them had him wincing, remembering the lack of pain and the unwelcome cold in his arm. 

Morgan’s face just after...her screams of pain...Loki can’t believe he asked a Midgardian for help. Or that they even managed to get to the Jotunheim. They were never supposed to be there. She was of Midgard, they were too weak to withstand Jotunheim. Her magic...

_ By the Norns, her magic...how had it managed to keep them alive? _

Loki saw Morgan perform basic spells. They were never anything to that scale- he never  _ thought  _ a Midgardian could perform magic on that scale. Her shield kept back an  _ army  _ of  _ Frost Giants _ . 

_ (Yet her magic did not block out Loki _

_ The worst Frost Giant of them all- _

_ His skin was  _ blue-)

Freyja brought her friend to help Loki. To solve his problem, to save Asgard. Freyja trusted Loki with her friend’s safety. Now Morgan looked near dead in her arms. Loki had promised to repay her kindness towards him. Loki instead made her call on powers beyond her ability. She could die from that even still.

Fandral was near death as well. It didn’t matter to Loki.

Thor apparently cared even less. He glared with the mightiest of rages directed at their- at  _ Thor’s-  _ father. Loki realized he could not be a Frost Giant and a Son of Odin.

“Why did you bring us back?” Thor raged at Odin. The same way he always snapped at Loki, reminding him to take his place or quiet his silver tongue or quit playing his tricks.

“Do you realize what  _ you’ve _ done? What  _ you’ve _ started?” Odin yelled back.

“I was protecting my home.” Thor shouted.

“You cannot protect your friends. How can you hope to protect a kingdom?” Odin pulled the sword from it’s place. The lightning died with it. Odin tossed the sword to Heimdall. Heimdall, who had not stopped this  _ madness.  _ “Get them to the healing room! Now!” 

Freyja held Morgan closer, wrapping Morgan’s around Freyja’s shoulders. She walked as a third leg for Morgan. The Midgardian was even more sickly under the Asgardian sun. He saw her mumbling something, too low for Loki to hear it. Freyja glared at Loki, rolling her eyes at him. That only made Loki feel worse. The Warriors carried off Volstagg. 

Loki watched them all go. A deep pit growing inside of him the further his friends were from him. The only two that supported him- the only two that went along with this plan on Loki’s word and promised they would not  _ actually  _ visit Jotunheim.

The only person who saw him change...who knew now the curse of his skin. On it, or beneath it? He must be a Frost Giant but...but if he wasn’t? Was it just his ability to shapeshifter that saved his life?

_ (Loki thought this, knowing full well what the magic of shapeshifting felt like. _

_ His arm turning blue was the most natural thing in the world. Like taking off a coat after a long hot day.) _

“There won’t be a kingdom to protect, if you’re afraid to act!” Thor ranted and raged on. Both father and son blind to Loki’s internal plight. Could they not see his distress, not hear his inner screams, see that Loki was hiding his pain? No they didn’t. They never could. “The Jotuns must learn to fear me, just as they once feared you.”

Thor was right. Loki did now fear Thor more than he ever had Odin. 

Loki was a Frost Giant now. 

_ (Always had been) _

Words of Thor echoed in Loki’s mind. Centuries of them, coming to Loki in a way that curdled in his stomach.

_ “I’ll cut the monsters down!” _

_ “Teach them a lesson, break their spirits-” _

_ “The Jotuns must pay for what they’ve done!” _

“That’s pride and vanity talking, not leadership!” Odin snapped. Loki looked up at his father-  _ he was no son of Odin...nonono he can’t-  _ coming to a startling revelation. He must have known...why not tell Loki? Why let him go on, believing himself one of them? “Have you forgotten everything I’ve taught you? What of a warrior’s patience?”

“While you wait and be patient, the Nine Realms laugh at us.” Thor argued. “The old ways are done. You’d stand giving speeches while Asgard falls!” Thor 

“You’re a vain, greedy, cruel boy!” Odin shouted.

“And you are an old man and a fool!” Thor shouted back.

“Yes. I was a fool, to think you were ready.” Odin 

It was the one thing he wanted to hear. The words were soured by the blue skin hidden away.

“Father.” Loki tried to intervene on this argument. Odin and Thor could get quite riled up in arguments. They needed to calm down, keep cooler- _ no no, not cooler- _ clear headed. If they weren’t stopped, who knows what damage can come up?

“HEAURGH!” Odin yelled at him.

Loki jumped back, fear shooting down his spine and stilling his body. Loki thought if he made the wrong move, Odin would let Thor slaughter a Frost Giant.

They were only monsters, after all.

They all deserved to be cut down.

Odin glared down at his only born son. “Thor Odinson... You have betrayed the express command of your King. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you’ve opened these peaceful Realms, and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!”

Odin stuck Gunghir into the sword’s slot. Lightning began connecting with it. Loki heard the observatory beginning to hum.

_ No _

_ No Father don’t- _

Loki was too scared to speak in his brother’s defense. 

“You are...unworthy of these Realms! Unworthy of your title!” Odin ripped off parts of Thor’s armor. His symbols of royalty, of his place among the Nine. He ripped off Thor’s cloak. Loki watched in confused horror, Thor matching his expression. “You’re unworthy... of the loved ones, you have betrayed.”

Odin went back to Gunghir. Thor looked at himself, scared for what may be taken next.

“I now take from you, your power!” Odin called forth Mjolnir. She flew from Thor’s hand into Odin’s. “In the name of my father! And his father before!”

Thor’s armor fell away. The chain mail crumbling off into nothing. Loki’s heart was racing in his chest. 

“I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!” Odin ordered. He flung Mjolnir.

Magic hit Thor in his chest. He went flying back into the path of the Bifrost.

Loki ran to it. He wanted to save Thor, to catch him, to help him. He had only wanted to help him. It wasn’t meant to go like this. Thor was only supposed to get told off, not  _ banished _ .

He was being  _ banished _ .

_ (All of it, Loki’s fault. As everything always was) _

“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” Odin then threw in Mjolnir. Only after did he pull out Gunghir.

Loki schooled his expression. He would not show any of the whirlwind emotions running through him. The last thing he needed was for Odin to punish Loki too. He would do a perfectly good job if that himself.

_ (Morgan was so much paler in Asgard...Freyja’s look of rage as her friend stumbled...Loki’s fault. Always Loki’s fault...) _

==L==

River never liked hospitals. The too polite doctors and nurses, the sickly looking patients, everyone in there was too easy a mark. River could never go to one, for fear of people realizing just how non-human she was.

Yes her dad was a nurse. What of it?

Nothing good ever happened to River because of a hospital. River was born and abducted in a hospital-like battlefield. River was left behind in a hospital after saving the Doctor’s life, Morgan just left her there with nothing but a thick diary and instructions for a summoning spell.

Yes she still took that personally.

The one thing worse was seeing Morgan in a medical center. Her skin was so pale, River could see the reds and blues of the blood vessels. Color was coming back, slowly and none too soon.

The healers here were used to magic related illness. As some tended to the ailing Fandral, others brought potions for Morgan to drink. Morgan did so without question, eyes darting to the door and at River. If River dared to leave her side- for a chair, to summon a healer,  _ anything- _ Morgan went still with panic.

Morgan hated hospitals too. River remembered horror stories from her childhood, of all the times Morgan narrowly avoided being experimented on in her different realities. River knew for certain that worse happened to Morgan since then. They never exactly had time to sync up the diaries.

Morgan just downed another potion. She let out a long breath after, gripping the bottle so tight River was surprised it didn’t break. 

“What the hell were you thinking?” River snapped at her. 

“Oh...sweetheart...Hell had nothing to do with it.” Morgan chuckled. She put the bottle down at her side. Her breathing was more pronounced, like a weight was lifted and she was finally able to take in air again.

“You almost died. If not from that magic, then hypothermia!” River scolded.

“I’m made of stronger stuff than you Asgardians think.” Morgan reminded her.

“I’m not Asgardian!” River hissed. She was careful making sure none in the hall heard her. “I am as mortal as you.”

“Says the regenerating assassin.” Morgan sneered, snickering.

River wanted to show off those assassin skills. Would snapping Morgan’s neck do the job?

Morgan glanced off at the door again. She bit at her lip, practically breaking the skin.

“Tell me this isn’t part of your plan.” River asked.

“This is not part of my plan.” Morgan immediately answered. The monotone of her voice telling River it was a lie.

She huffed, a growl of annoyance coming from her throat.

“I don’t actually make a point to end up in a hospital. Always my last idea.” Morgan tapped idly on her leg. Her hands twitched a moment, so Morgan reached again for her Bag. She held it tight.

River sat closer to Morgan, trying to get the idiot girl to meet River’s eyes. “Then how did this happen? Did the spell go wrong?”

“Any time I use that spell, I end up in here.” Morgan answered. She looked around the healing hall. “Surprised I didn’t die...must be getting better at it.”

“What even  _ was  _ that magic?” River asked. “All the spells you used before this- they look  _ rubbish _ now that I know you can do  _ that _ .”

Then Morgan smiled. This annoying smile, reminding River of sappy feel good movies and of the way the Doctor’s smiled at River as he was dying from poison. A manifested confidence, an assurance that things were going to work out for the better. River hated when they smiled like that. It always turned out true. “A shield made of the strongest material at my disposal.”

River hated it when Morgan was vague. “I still can’t believe you use magic.”

“I still can’t believe you chose that hairstyle.” Morgan shot back. “Like you  _ knew _ it would be high maintenance. Still- a conscious choice. When I regenerate, I deliberately went for hair that I could easily maintain.”

River hated when Morgan danced around a subject. Or insulted her hair- did she have to keep doing that? Did River deserve mocking now that she was blonde? Maybe she would make it go brown, just a bit over time like she could do with aging. “At least the madness is done.”

Morgan’s face went perfectly blank. She looked towards the door. River saw her fingers tighten on the Bag. River could feel the girl tensing, readying either for a fight or to run away.

“Morgan.” River warned.

She was silent.

“Morgan tell me we’re done.” River instructed.

“Freyja we’re done.” Morgan obeyed, not looking away from the door.

“You’re an  _ awful _ liar.”

“You told me to lie to you, you never said I had to do a good job.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s late. I actually tried to post it on Friday 13th but I got distracted watching the Unus Annus goodbye livestream. It’s a whole thing you wouldn’t get it-  
> Anyway! Here’s just the tiniest bit of Loki-angst/whump. It’s my specialty. I thought about adding the Vault scene to this chapter but nah. Loki gave off plenty to work with here.   
> Special thanks to worstloki on tumblr. They provide excellent Loki analysis that- honestly? I live for. Especially that ‘heaurgh’ bit. Like that’s a super heartfelt moment for five seconds until Loki opens his mouth then MBLERGH ITS ME YOUR FATHER, NO ONE ASKED YOU LOKI! Like...why? Why do this, Odin?


	8. Loki, The Jötunn

Freyja didn’t think I should be out of the healing halls yet. That was her problem, not mine. Given my history I knew better than her what magic depletion did to me. Frankly, I’m impressed that I was able to do Equestrian Magic in the MCU. Should I tell Twilight? She might really like that. 

On second thought, no. She would love it. She would love it so much that she would want to test out all the things I could do in her basement.

If Darcy were around, she’d make jokes about that. I wanted to make them too. The two of us, laughing about Twilight dragging me to her basement for the Author knows what. I rolled my eyes too at the sex jokes Darcy would’ve made.

Her laughter was echoing in my head...this sort of chortle with a snort. Our laughter was a dorky kind of laugh. I missed hearing it from her. Hearing it in quiet moments, the knowing look she would give me. More often than not, we’d be thinking about the same joke. Sick minds, the two of us.

Speaking of sick minds that need counselling...Loki. 

He was clearly, clearly struggling. I insisted on leaving the healing hall for that reason alone. I wasn’t going to leave him alone against the Warriors and Sif. In his state he doesn’t deserve that.

Freyja stuck by my side in the room. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate it...but I don’t appreciate it.  _ Give me some space, woman, before I throw you into space _ !

Hogan was tending to the warming fire, moving the hot stones about to keep it breathing. Volstagg was being tended with his wound, applying a salve. Though the healing halls could do much, apparently a freezer burn would take more care than a stab wound in terms of healing. Fandral was already standing, lightly pacing around the couches. Sif sat down, a pensive look on her face.

Loki couldn’t decide if he wanted to have a full on breakdown or start running. He was anxiously tapping his fingertips to his palm, constantly glancing my way.

I sat because Freyja insisted I not overexert myself.  _ Like she knew anything about magic exhaustion. _

“We should never have let him go.” Volstagg stated.

“There was no stopping him.” Sif sighed, shaking her head. 

“At least he’s only banished, not  _ dead _ .” Fandral reminded them all. “Which is what we’d  _ all _ be if that guard hadn’t told Odin where we’d gone.” 

I looked up at Loki. Our eyes met. He quickly looked away, staring with worry at his open palm. My own hands clenched, fighting the urge to pull at my hair. 

Hogun took control of applying the salve. Volstagg winced at the care. He huffed in annoyance, glaring out. “How did the guard even know?” Volstagg asked, yelping in frustration. 

Loki snapped his head up. The fire made it easier to see the restrained tears in his eyes. They were watering. “I told him.” He pretended to never even be worried about that hand. 

The Warriors 3 and Sif gawked at him. All four looked at him with betrayal.

“Well thank you, Loki.” I immediately told him. I elbowed Freyja.

Freyja grumbled, giving a brief roll of her eyes. “I suppose you have my thanks as well.”

The praise gave Loki no help. If anything, it made him more nervous and anxious.

“What?” Fandral was the first of the others to get their voice back.

“I told him to go to Odin after we’d left.” Loki admitted. “He should be flogged for taking so long. We should have never reached Jotunheim.”

“ _ You _ told the guard?” Volstagg yelled out, enraged.

_ Bastards _

_ Bastards all of you _

“I saved our lives. And Thor’s.” Loki said this with no joy. Every word said in a monotone that I’d come to recognize as shock. He was going to come out soon. It wouldn’t be pretty for anyone. “I had no idea Father would banish him for what he did.”

Sif stood up. I did as well. Despite seeing the film myself, I was more worried here that Sif would lash out at Loki. Her past behavior gave me no reason to suspect otherwise. Freyja tried to get me to sit back down. I knocked her hand back.

“Loki...you must go to the Allfather, and convince him to change his mind!” Sif instructed. I wanted to scoff at her. What right did she have to make such demands? After all the  _ damage  _ that Thor just unleashed, that we  _ saw  _ him unleash? 

“And if I do, then what?” Loki challenged. Sif gave no answer. “I love Thor more dearly than  _ any _ of you, but you know what he is. He’s arrogant, he’s reckless, he’s  _ dangerous _ !” You saw how he was today! Is that what Asgard needs from its King?” With a harsh glare to the Warriors, Loki stormed out.

I knew where he was going. What kind of person would just leave him alone through that? I went after him, ignoring Freyja’s calls.

_ He needs me right now, Freyja _

_ I’m not leaving him with Odin as the only person in the room _

==L==

Should River even be surprised that Morgan went running off after him?

“He speaks of the good of Asgard but he’s  _ always _ been jealous of Thor.” Sif told the Warriors.

“You’ve just upset he wouldn’t do as you commanded.” River countered.

Sif glared at River. River wished she had a gun. It would take care of this problem quicker than Asgardian weapons. Morgan would help cover it up too. “Loki is fully able to go to the Allfather. This mess was his doing, he should be the one to bring Thor back.”

“You hypocrites!” River yelled, shaking her head in disbelief. Watching all they were saying and doing, she was surprised Morgan hadn’t tried killing them yet. “All of you, hypocrites! You were  _ just _ praising the speed in which we were discovered, thankful that Odin saved our sorry selves. Now you  _ condemn _ Loki for making  _ sure _ we were saved? The man has just lost his brother. Have a damned bit of sympathy!”

“You are Vanir, you do not understand the ways of Asgard.” Sif dismissed.

“Hogun is as Vanir as I, are you saying this of him too?” River countered. The Warriors all darted eyes to each other, clearly worried about that implication.

“No! Hogun has fought for Asgard, as a proper warrior should.” Sif insisted.

“I mean...we should be grateful to him. He  _ did  _ save our lives...” Volstagg noted.

“Laufey said there were  _ traitors _ in the House of Odin.” Hogun reminded them. “A master of magic could bring three Frost Giants into Asgard.”

_ And a master of magic gif them  _ out  _ of Asgard, without a single life being taken. _

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Freyja growled. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this- Loki saved our lives. My friend nearly  _ died _ keeping you idiots safe.” She scoffed, sneering down her nose at the Warriors and Sif. “We should be thankful to him instead of cursing at him- something you  _ all  _ did before learning it was  _ Loki  _ that saved us. Again,  _ hypocrites _ !”

River couldn’t stay in a room with this many stupid people. It was bound to get one of them killed. She stormed out of the room without once looking back. 

“She’s right. Loki’s always been one for mischief but you’re talking about something else  _ entirely!” _

Well only one of them had a brain between his skull. Pity that his blood was always rushing south or he would actually prove useful.

==L==

Loki knew I was following him. The doors to the Vault opened on his command. As he approached the Casket, I paid no mind to all the other trinkets in here. None of them mattered. Loki’s condition was my only priority here. 

He reached for the sides. I walked towards him, reaching my hand out.

“Stop.” He ordered.

I pulled my hands back, holding them up. “Okay. Okay- whatever you say. You’re calling the shots here. I won’t touch you.”

Loki didn’t even send a glare my way, or look mg direction. He kept his focus on the Casket. 

“Loki? Mind telling me where your head’s at?” I asked.

“You saw what happened.” Loki hissed. “I am a traitor. I’m a  _ monster _ .”

“I saw no monster, all I saw was a Jötunn.” I told him. Loki tensed, his hands clenching and unclenching by his sides. “You didn’t know, then?”

“No.” Loki answered. He reached for the Casket again.

I walked up to him, careful not to set him off. The last thing this situation needed was more anger. 

“Did you?” Loki asked.

I stopped. Loki was standing tense in front of the Casket, turning his head over his shoulder to glare at me. The idea that Loki would be mad at me was something I suspected would happen. I told him my Plan would work flawlessly. It’s not his fault that I didn’t give all the information to him. That was my fault. He deserved to feel the anger towards me.

_ Author, did I really have to tell him the truth? _

_ People always get mad when I tell the truth... _

Then again, I don’t wanna be like the rest of Asgard in this. Loki deserves to finally get the truth from me. No matter how it inconvenienced me. He deserved to know.

“Did you know about this!” Loki snapped.

“Yes.” I admitted.

I thought the truth would feel more freeing. As Loki’s expression set into that blankness: the thin lip, the guarded eyes, the forced relaxation in the eyebrows and shoulders, and that damned flinch back from me. His mind was probably a whirlwind of betrayals and hurt, I added to that. It gave me physical damage to see that directed at me. 

“I-”  _ I wanted to tell you...did I? Did I want to hurt him like this?  _ “I didn’t think you’d believe me.”

_ Nobody ever does when I tell them the future _

Though the admission was pathetic, and I thought it too late to appeal for sympathy, Loki turned from me. Sure, that could mean a dismissal and a cold shoulder. As someone who has been on that side of betrayal, silence was better than anger.

Not great. Just better.

_ I had to hide it _

_ If I told him- and he didn’t believe- _

_ I couldn’t tell him. I didn’t want this for him. I remember that pain, of finding out you’re something different. That your entire identity was a lie, that your species was wrong. _

_ When I found out, I had nobody. I was all alone with no idea who I was,  _ what _ I was. I thought I was a demon, or a witch. _

_ Loki knows what he is. He hates himself all the more for it. He has resources to find out more, except everyone he could ask hates him on principle. _

He reached for the casket again. He moved with rage, with a determinedness that set off something unpleasant in my stomach. He held the Casket in his hands. This time, he watched his fingers shift to blue.

The blue shifted up, inching to take over the pale white. It crept beneath his sleeves. I couldn’t watch it cover the rest of his skin. Before long, blue peaked out for his shirt collar. The light of the Casket and the glowing wall of the Destroyer reflected the coming color in his eyes. The air wasn’t quite cold...that didn’t make me feel any better.

When he turned back, the entire Vault was shaking. Or maybe it was me. I wanted to crumble under that glare- the intense hatred and scorn from him...why was I not dead on the spot?

“What more have you hidden from me?”

I wanted to say anything, answer whatever questions he asked. But the pain in his red eyes...it broke me.

_ His eyes still held a pupil...they were still his familiar green...clouded over by red. _

_ They were still so beautiful...even if the beauty came with the pain of knowing... _

Loki still held the Casket. If he lifted it in this form...if the Destroyer thought a Jotun was stealing it...he could die. I screwed up, keeping everything hidden. That doesn’t mean Loki deserves to suffer for it.

“Loki. Please let go of the Casket.” I pleaded, looking between Loki and the glowing wall of the Destroyer.

Loki laughed. The bad laughter that came with the dramatic upswing in music. My heart was racing, thinking about Loki lifting up the Casket. What he could do after with it was no concern to me- he was the priority. He was the innocent civilian that I dragged into my fucking mess. “Why? Do I  _ frighten  _ you?”

“No. I’m frightened for you. Please put it down.” I looked at the wall again. So far, the defenses weren’t going down. When would that change? What needed to change?  _ How badly could I screw this up? _

_ What did Loki need right now? _

“I know I screwed up, not telling you, I’m sorry.” My voice wobbled, my breathing came faster as I tried to think. How high up did the Casket need to go for it to count? How fast could I get him out of the Destroyer’s path? Would letting go of the Casket stop it? Could I knock him down before the Destroyer fired- “Please put it down. The Destroyer will come out if you move it!”

Loki smiled, scoffing and laughing still. Well yeah, apparently I could feel worse. “Why shouldn’t it? It would only be doing it’s job.”

His lifted the Casket.

I leapt at him, grabbing his hands to push the Casket back. Loki’s red eyes went wide as I held his blue hands, not flinching back from the cold. Or perhaps more surprised at the strength I used to push the Casket back down. If the Destroyer came right now, with my back to it, I would be the first target.

_ Fuck the Casket was cold. _

_ Fuck I actually like it. _

“STOP!”

If I thought Loki was tense before, I was clearly unclear about what ‘tense’ was for him. I looked up, seeing red eyes bounce between unveiled hate and tearful confusion.

“Am I cursed?” Loki asked.

On the stairs, Odin stayed up at the top. Not coming near his son. Not coming any closer, or trying to be comforting. Nah, he was shouting his answers from across the room. I was wrong earlier. Loki hadn’t been dragged into my mess, Odin dragged him along. Everything wrong with Loki’s life was Odin’s fault. He was such a fucking asshole. Look at him now. He can only claim the higher ground in it’s most technical sense.

What father didn’t want to comfort his son, at such a confusing time? What kind of  _ parent _ just kept their kid at arm’s length like this?

This man- who already suffered the loss of his brother- was starting to realize his family was long since lost. 

“No.” Odin answered.

_ The Casket was still cold _

_ This was actually starting to feel painful now. _

_ I couldn’t let go. _

_ What if Loki tried to move it again? _

I squeezed tighter on Loki’s hands. His own hands tensed from my touch. He wouldn’t let go of the Casket. Until he did, I held on.

Even if my fingers were turning blue.

“What am I?” Loki asked. I tried to meet his eyes. He purposefully kept his eyes on the Casket.

“You’re my son.” Odin answered.

Even I scoffed at that. Loki’s fingers began to uncurl, so I did too. My fingers were mildly blue, I tucked them away. Getting mild frostbite was my choice. 

Loki turned to face Odin. I stepped around the Casket, taking his side. “What more than that?”

Odin was accusingly silent. I stayed by the Casket. The moment was too private, too painful for me to step into this time. My fingers were warming up anyway. Besides, Odin deserved Loki’s ire. Odin noticed my presence, despite me wanting literally anything else. “Queen Morgan does not need to be here. Come, Loki, let us discuss this elsewhere.”

“No. Answer me now. The Casket wasn’t the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it?” Loki accused. He walked towards Odin. His skin shifted back to his Aesir skin.

No hiding behind me. I would’ve thrown him at Loki.

“No.” Odin admitted after a long moment. He stayed at the top of the stairs, staring down at Loki. Never once showing an ounce of pity or sympathy. If one was being honest with themselves, Odin was being an asshole. “In the aftermath of the battle, I went into the Temple, and I found a baby. Small for a Giant’s offspring, abandoned, suffering, left to die.  _ Laufey’s son.” _

I stepped forward. There was barely a sound as I did so. Though I wouldn’t interfere, I wanted Loki to know that somebody had his back. I was a traitor to him in the ways that mattered but I would do better now.

“ _ Laufey’s _ son.” Loki repeated. He was a smart man, hearing what of the story Odin was leaving out.

_ He took you home _

_ You were a lone baby, in a Temple, definitely surrounded by the dead, and he took you home. _

_ He always said you were born to be a king _

_ He never said of what realm _

“Yes.” Odin confirmed.

“ _ Why?” _ Loki asked. He glanced over his shoulder, spotting me walking up behind. I gave him a look that I hope reflected his own confusion. He went back to Odin, for understanding, for help, for  _ anything _ . “You were _ knee-deep _ in Jotun blood! Why would you take  _ me _ ?”

“You were an innocent child.” Odin reasoned.

Again, a quiet scoff from me. Somehow I got the feeling being an innocent child hadn’t stopped the All-Father before. In the mythology texts I’d studied, none of Loki’s kids were guilty of anything besides a damned prophecy of Ragnarok. Surely this Odin wouldn’t be so different. 

“No. You took me for a purpose, what was it?” Loki demanded to be told.

Odin seemed offset. Had he not expected Loki to see past his lies? Loki, the proclaimed god of lies, not able to see past such obvious copout bullshit?

_ “Tell me!” _ Loki screamed, and I heard a millennia of pain fall down around him.

_ Hey I was just wondering if I should let the Destroyer kill me. Guess that answered my question. _

Odin understood. There was no smooth talking his way out of this one. “I thought we could unite our kingdoms one day, bring about an alliance, bring about a permanent peace, through you.”

Even that explanation stunk of a coverup, of lies and half truths. Odin was trying to cover his own lies and mistakes. Loki himself wasn’t the mistake, but somehow he was the only person paying for Odin’s actions. I walked closer to him, taking the place at Loki’s side. 

“ _ What? _ ” Loki asked.

_ I know, I don’t believe it either. _

“But those plans no longer matter.” Odin dismissed.

_ ‘Hey son, I just admitted that taking you was for a purpose so I raised you for that purpose and that purpose is now useless. Hey but don’t think this is me telling you that you’re useless.’ _

_ Wow. _

“So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me.” Loki snapped.

“Why do you twist my words?” Odin asked.

I scoffed. Twist his words? He picked up on the subtext you gave to him. There’s no twisting of words. Loki just put together the truth from what you already said. I was so mad, so fucking pissed off at the lies. Odin was being the worst piece of shit father. Yeah worse than Laufey who put his son in a Temple during a war-

_ ‘Oh my Author. Odin has been telling Loki that he’s been trying to kill his dad for a thousand years. I did not think it could be worse.’ _

But my rage wasn’t the focus of this interaction. That was all Loki’s. I need to put mine aside for now, until Loki was okay. He needed help more than I needed to blow a hole in Odin’s skull.

On the brightside, holding back a blast was warming up my hands.

“You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn’t you?” Loki yelled. 

“You are my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth.” Odin lied again.

_ Yeah cause that always works well _

“What?” Loki asked. “Because I-I-I-I’m the  _ monster _ that parents tell their children about at night?”

_ Hey maybe I can get the Destroyer to kill Odin too. Just take us both out. That’ll help Loki. _

“Don’t.”

“You know, it all makes sense now! Why you favored _ Thor  _ all these years.” Loki shouted. He advanced up the stairs, as Odin crumbled. “Because _ no matter _ how much you  _ claim _ to  _ love me _ , you could  _ never _ have a  _ Frost Giant _ sitting on the  _ throne of Asgard!” _

At the shout, Odin fell back into the Odinsleep. Loki stood above him now. His blue/green glare shifting to blue/green fear.

I went up the stairs, taking his hand. Loki flinched back. His grip tightened on my hand all the same. They warmed me up too.

“Loki?” I asked. 

_ Are you okay? _

_ What do you need? _

_ How can I help you? _

_ How do I make this right? _

Loki just stared at our joined hands.

Okay. I knew what to do in these instances.

“Guards!” I shouted. Loki squeezed my hand, startled. His mouth was gaping, trying and failing to form words. “Guards help!”

The doors to the Vault opened. They went to the side of the Allfather. I helped Loki take a step back, moving so I stood protectively in front of him. 

No way anyone of Asgard was getting their hands on Loki without going through me. I failed him once. I won’t again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...normal month in the Loki fandom. Everything is fine. No need to talk about anything-  
> OKAY BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING?! I HEARD THEORIES THAT LOKI IS GONNA DO THE DB COOPER THING! PRESIDENT LOKI! THE HELMET! THE KNIVES! THE OUTFITS!  
> Owen Wilson?!  
> LOKI  
> *ahem* Like I said. Normal month in the Loki fandom.


End file.
